RWBYNov — RWBY: Volume One
by sittscho
Summary: The first in a series of unofficial novelizations following the story of RWBY. Expect a more lighthearted take on the source material as slice of life, romance, and light comedy get intermingled with canon in order to expand on both the characters and the world presented by the show.
1. Front Matter

**RWBY**

 **Volume One**

 _An unofficial novelization by sittscho_

* * *

 **Introduction**

The first in a series of unofficial novelizations following the story of _RWBY._ Expect a more lighthearted take on the source material as slice of life, romance, and light comedy get intermingled with canon in order to expand on both the characters and the world presented by the show.

 _RWBY: Volume One_ is set in the RWBYNov universe, which is based on Rooster Teeth's _RWBY_ series. The _World of Remnant_ shorts and _RWBY Chibi_ provided additional inspiration in creating this alternate interpretation of Remnant.

Over the course of this story, the following characters

\- Blake Belladonna  
\- Yang Xiao Long  
\- Ruby Rose  
\- Weiss Schnee

and pairings

\- Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long (Bumblebee, Bumbleby, Bmblb)

will be featured, among others.

As always, the material presented aims to stay true to the original while leaning toward the mundane and the lighthearted. Do not expect dark themes, heavy drama, or soap-operatic love triangles to run rampant.

* * *

 **See Also**

 **Fan Works**

 _Soulbound_ by xT-Zealot

A well-written novelization project with soulmate elements that has already finished the first two volumes.

\- _Soulbound_ (www{.}fanfiction{.}net/s/10062463)  
\- More… (www{.}fanfiction{.}net/u/165078)

 **Official Works**

 _RWBY_ by Rooster Teeth

The original series is freely available on the Internet. Show the creators some love by buying a plushy or something.

\- _RWBY_ (en{.}wikipedia{.}org/wiki/RWBY)

 _RWBY Chibi_ by Rooster Teeth

A comedy spin-off of the original series. Non-canon but highly recommended to anyone who enjoys cuteness and the style of humor _RWBY_ lost after the early seasons.

\- _RWBY Chibi_ (en{.}wikipedia{.}org/wiki/RWBY_Chibi)

* * *

 **Contact Information**

New releases, updates, and revisions can be obtained _free of charge_ via

\- Archive of Our Own (archiveofourown{.}org/users/sittscho)  
\- FanFiction (www{.}fanfiction{.}net/u/6326698)

Status updates, progress reports, release notifications, behind-the-scenes information, and the odd request for contributions can be found on

\- Tumblr (sittschowrites) (sittschowrites{.}tumblr{.}com)  
\- Twitter (sittschowrites) (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites)

The author can be reached directly via

\- Twitter (sittscho) (twitter{.}com/sittscho)

Feel free to drop by, comment, review, and spread the word should you find yourself with some spare time to waste.

* * *

 **Revision History**

 **Revision 15 (2018-07-01)**

\- Revise part _Arrivals_ (major; see author's notes for details)  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 14 (2017-05-22)**

\- Revise chapter _Locker Room Confessionals_ (major)  
\- Revise part _Moving In_  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 13 (2016-12-27)**

\- Add chapter _Insomnia_  
\- Finish part _Moving In_  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 12 (2016-12-19)**

\- Add chapter _Toast_  
\- Revise chapter _RWBY_  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 11 (2016-12-04)**

\- Add chapter _RWBY_  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 10 (2016-11-27)**

\- Add chapter _Sleepover_

 **Revision 9 (2016-11-21)**

\- Start part _Moving In_  
\- Add chapter _Locker Room Confessionals_

 **Revision 8 (2016-06-21)**

\- Merge chapters _Shadow of the Grimm I & II_ into chapter _Shadow of the Grimm_  
\- Revise front matter

 **Revision 7 (2016-06-02)**

\- Add chapter _Shadow of the Grimm I_  
\- Add chapter _Shadow of the Grimm II_  
\- Finish part _Initiation_

 **Revision 6 (2016-05-31)**

\- Add chapter _Reunion_

 **Revision 5 (2016-05-29)**

\- Add chapter _Forest Temple_

 **Revision 4 (2016-05-22)**

\- Add chapter _Growing Pains_

 **Revision 3 (2016-03-28)**

\- Start part _Initiation_  
\- Add chapter _Partners_  
\- Release on Archive of Our Own as _RWBY: Volume One_

 **Revision 2 (2016-03-25)**

\- Revise part _Arrivals_

 **Revision 1 (2016-03-17)**

\- Add part _Arrivals_  
\- Release as _RWBY: Volume One_

* * *

 **Disclaimer**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plots, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material.

All original material is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (creativecommons{.}org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4{.}0).

Rated T (www{.}fictionratings{.}com).

Reader discretion is advised.


	2. Ruby Rose (Part One: Arrivals)

**Ruby Rose**

"Gonna be late, gonna be late, gonna be late!" was all the citizens of Vale could make out as a red streak zipped past them in a wake of rose petals. What was supposed to be the best day in Ruby Rose's life was turning out to be a disaster, and it was all her sister's fault!

It had all begun when she had gotten involved in a robbery a couple of weeks before. Most girls her age liked to spend their semester breaks hanging out in malls and coffee shops with their friends, but not Ruby. No, her favorite hang-out spot was a dust shop in downtown Vale. The elderly owner had taken a liking to the young girl and had given her free rein of his magazine rack as long as she wouldn't crease or tear anything in the process. An offer, she had been making extensive use of in order to work through the backlog she had built up dealing with the year's finals at Signal Academy.

One day, a handful of goons decided to spoil her fun by robbing the store. One might argue, that a high school student shouldn't engage a gang of career criminals waving around guns and hatchets, but Ruby was no ordinary girl. When she had been younger, her sister had spent almost every night reading stories of heroes and monsters to her, and the chance for her very own great adventure was far too good to pass up on no matter the danger. Besides, they were trying to rob her too, and there was no way she would hand over her baby to a bunch of two-bit gangsters!

Ruby had the goons knocked out and their leader—a notorious criminal in a bowler hat named Roman Torchwick—on the run in no time. But she wasn't just going to let the bad guy escape. No, she chased him through the streets of Vale and over its rooftops all the way to his waiting getaway vehicle. That was when things turned crazy. A huntress appeared out of nowhere and squared off with a mysterious passenger that had been hidden on the fleeing Bullhead VTOL. Fire, ice, and lightning rained down all around them in an awesome display of the destructive power of dust, and it was all Ruby could do to stay out of harm's way.

In the end, the dastardly villains had managed to escape, and Ruby had been the one to find herself stashed away in the interrogation room of the local police precinct. Rather than praise for stopping a robbery, she had earned herself a stern lecture by one Glynda Goodwitch—huntress and assistant to the headmaster of Beacon Academy, the dream school of every aspiring huntress, ever!

The story should have ended there. She should have been sent home, her father should have given her another long and boring lecture, and, barely a week and a half later, she should have returned to Signal to start her penultimate year of primary combat school.

Instead, the headmaster himself had shown up to offer her milk, cookies, and a spot at his elite academy!

Things had been a blur from there. Ruby couldn't remember if she had given a response to the offer or not, although, she must have accepted or she wouldn't have ended up in her current predicament. By the time she had made it home, she had convinced herself that she must have imagined it all. After all, why would the headmaster of the most prestigious combat academy in the world meet her in person in a small downtown police station to invite her to his school?

Her sister might be convinced that she was special, but Ruby knew better. She was just an average student and way too young to attend Beacon. It hadn't made any sense. It still didn't…

Life had continued on as if nothing had happened until an unmarked brown envelope arrived at the Rose-Xiao-Long household. It contained all the paperwork needed for her transfer filled out and signed by the headmasters of Signal and Beacon. There was no explanation included, just a sticky note asking for her legal guardian's signature to finalize the transfer.

Her father was reluctant at first. He was a teacher at Signal and considered it too early for his little girl to move on to a secondary combat school, but her sister was having none of it. Yang had been accepted to Beacon for the same semester and declared that she would beat anyone or anything that dared to lay a finger on her baby sister to a bloody pulp. Including their own father, should he try to keep her from taking her along.

She wouldn't have, probably, but the idea of a merciless blond watchdog was enough to convince him to sign the papers, and Ruby found herself swept up in a barrage of rib-crushing hugs, overjoyed rants, and goodbye parties filled with people she barely recognized.

Yang was having fun. A bit too much fun for Ruby's taste, but she didn't have the heart to spoil it for her sister. The new semester was only a couple of days away anyway, and there was one event planned that Ruby could barely wait for: a weekend of sisterly bonding holed up in a nice hotel in downtown Vale. No parents, no friends, no classmates; just Yang and Ruby, the way it used to be before school and social obligations had started to tear them apart.

Her bags were packed and ready for Beacon—they would head there directly from the hotel—and she had spent days preparing. There were lists of restaurants, sight-seeing hot spots, and fun activities lining her pockets, and she had brought her favorite board games and some of the tattered old books Yang must have read to her hundreds of times growing up. She had spent days preparing the best weekend ever only to see it run over, shot, trampled, and left to die by a single text message.

It wasn't like Yang didn't have a good reason for canceling or that Ruby hadn't gotten used to her sister's sudden disappearances over the years, but did it have to be their one special weekend of all times?

She read and re-read the text. It was the usual "sorry, something has come up" followed by a cryptic string of symbols in Yang's very own text code depicting two kisses, three hugs, a hair rustling, another hug followed by a hair rustling for good measure, and something else that must have been new in her dictionary as Ruby had absolutely no clue what it was supposed to mean. There were no hints as to where she had gone, when she would be back, or who had provided the latest breadcrumbs in her seemingly never-ending quest.

It was something Yang had to do. Ruby understood that much and would never hold it against her, but she couldn't help but wish that her sister would let her help out or at least talk things through with her from time to time.

Dejected and abandoned, Ruby checked into their hotel room anyway. It had been paid for in advance and she refused to let Yang ruin her plans entirely. She tried to make the best of things, and for the most part, she succeeded. It hadn't turned out to be the best weekend ever—how could it have without her sister by her side—but Ruby had managed to have a good time.

Until her last evening at the hotel, that was, when anxiety started to set in. What if she wasn't ready? What if she had forgotten something important at home? What if she had read the date wrong? What if she was denied admission because her transfer papers had gotten lost in the mail? Worst of all, what if Crescent Rose failed her?

Ruby could excuse just about anything but Crescent Rose failing. So, as the sun started to set, she dismantled her pride and joy for a full cleanup and servicing. The process was slow and tedious, but her baby deserved only the best.

Once she was done and satisfied with her work, her stomach reminded her that she had missed dinner. Luckily, she had come prepared for such eventualities, and a job well done certainly deserved a reward from her emergency cookie stores.

Big mistake! And clearly Yang's fault! The stupid abandoner should have been around to monitor her cookie intake and force her to eat healthy and stuff. But no, she had to run off by herself and enable Ruby's nerves to team up with the cookies' sugary goodness to squash their archnemesis: sleep.

An hour later, Ruby finally had enough of rolling around her bed without having caught a wink of it. Drastic measures were in order, and a thorough workout usually did the trick.

Luckily, the hotel roof provided plenty of space and privacy, allowing Ruby to work up a sweat under the pale light of the broken moon. Soon enough, she dragged herself back to her room, sweaty, exhausted, and ready to call it a night.

The hotel's ancient plumbing system disagreed with her plans though. A necessary but unexpectedly cold shower later, she found herself sitting on her bed wide awake yet again.

With the morning lurking just around the corner and sleep no closer than it had been hours before, Ruby decided that she would rather be tired than risk sleeping through her alarm. She pulled out her favorite book—a collection of fairy tales her mother had bought for her as a little girl—and started reading the night away.

Ruby knew all the stories by heart. Not just the original versions but Yang's too. With every reading, they had been rewritten and transformed. New characters had popped up, new plot twists and adventures had been added, and as they had both grown older, they had become less and less child friendly. Her favorite stories had become so strongly linked to her sister that Ruby could hear her in her head with every sentence she read—funny voices, hammy overacting, and all.

Unfortunately, the book hadn't lost its magic, and Ruby had drifted off into sweet oblivion just as the first birds had started to sing their morning songs.

Ruby Rose was late, and it was all her sister's fault. Her sister, who should have been there to calm her nerves and distract her from what was about to come. Her sister, who should have been there to make sure that she wouldn't sleep through her alarm. Her sister, who should have known better than to trust her not to screw up at the most inopportune moment!

She would not let Yang live this day down. She rarely ever had reason to complain, but this time, she would give her sister a piece of her mind for sure!

It was, most definitely, all Yang's fault…

* * *

First day of the year at Beacon Academy. Arguably one of the worst days in an airship steward's life. The day on which a flimsy box of metal alloy, plastic, and fiberglass held up in the sky by some dust contraption was turned into a pressure cooker filled to the brim with hormonal, irrational, overexcited, and heavily-armed teenage weirdos.

All it would take was for one of them to snap or for one of the many explosive substances they carried to go off, and the ship would drop out of the sky like a stone. A fate anyone in their right mind would try very hard to avoid. Unfortunately, management had been cracking down on staff trying to weasel out of their duties on this particular day of the year. Whoever was to call in sick on the first day of Beacon better be dying in a hospital or they could kiss their job and their benefits goodbye.

With a sigh, he looked out over the empty terminal in front of his airship. The day wouldn't be all that bad if Beacon would just send someone along to confiscate all the weird weapons their students brought along before trapping them in a flying sardine can, but no, they just handed out invitations and trusted the mental stability of kids volunteering to spend their life fighting nightmarish aberrations. Nothing wrong with that…

A quick glance at his father's old pocket watch—he would not trust those newfangled scroll contraptions to tell him the time of day if his life depended on it—told him that they were due for departure. He pulled out the handle of the door lock, turned it a hundred and eighty degrees, and pushed it back in.

There was a short delay before the docking ramp disengaged and the doors started folding down, which never failed to make him wonder why whoever had designed the airship had put in such an elaborate mechanical switch for something that was clearly controlled by some damn computer anyway.

Halfway through the process, a storm of rose petals slammed into his face, but before he could figure out just what the hell was going on, they dissolved into thin air, leaving a heap of black and red behind at his feet.

"Safe!" it stammered between heavy breaths as it clambered to its feet.

Hunched over in front of him stood a young girl. Too young, even for a first-year student at Beacon.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

The girl looked at him with silver eyes framed by short frazzled hair in a crooked hairdo. If she had been his daughter, he wouldn't have let her out of the house without making her wash out those ridiculous red streaks and get a sensible, symmetrical, and well-combed haircut, but on the scale of eccentricities among Beacon students it hardly even registered.

"You do realize that this is the special shuttle to Beacon, not one of our regular flights?" he asked the petite brunet.

"Good, that means I haven't missed it after all!"

She caught her breath and straightened up. Standing tall, she barely reached to his chest, and her outfit—some sort of short-skirted, frilly dress in red and black—reminded him more of the kind of thing found on creepy dolls or at costume parties than of something sensible people would wear in the street. The bright-red hooded cape certainly wasn't helping her make a good first impression either.

He considered going through the trouble of opening the doors again and sending her away—the special shuttles were reserved for students; visiting family and friends were supposed to take the regular flights—when he noticed the unwieldy hunk of metal strapped to her back. He couldn't make out what kind of contraption it was supposed to be, but there was little doubt that he was looking at one of the strange weapons favored by Beacon's students.

He shrugged. It wouldn't have been the first time that a hopeful or rejected applicant had snuck on board trying to sway the school's mind in person, and his pay grade did not include getting in between armed weirdos and their remote hideaway.

"Well, don't stand around here then. Make your way to the passenger section so we can lift off. We're late as it is."

The girl nodded and hoisted her duffel bag—almost as large as herself—over her shoulder with deceptive ease. Between her weird clothes, her childish face, and her small stature, she looked thoroughly unimpressive, but after more than twenty years on the job, he knew better than to trust the obvious with that lot. He would never understand all that mumbo-jumbo about auras and semblances, but, whatever it was and however it worked, it allowed people to develop superhuman abilities that could turn even little girls into terrifying weapons.

The doors had fully locked and he was about to hurry to the safety of the staff-only section when the girl stopped in her tracks. "You haven't seen my sister by any chance, have you? She's supposed to be on this flight."

He raised an eyebrow. "Can't say that I have."

"I see." The girl deflated.

He had expected her to notice the absurdity of her question and clarify her request by giving a description or a name. Instead, she stalked away looking like a puppy that had been kicked out in a thunderstorm. The sight almost got to him, but he caught himself before committing the gravest of all sins known to his profession.

"Beacon students are weird. Don't get involved with them," he muttered under his breath as he made his way to the break room ready to give the pilot the go-ahead over the intercom.

Moments later, the airship was on its way, and all that was left to do was to wait and hope that he would live to see another day.

* * *

Ruby stalked toward the passenger section in a somber mood. During her wild dash from the hotel, she had been determined to jump Yang and make her pay for everything that had happened to her over the weekend. Instead, the desire to see her big sister had gotten the upper hand.

Yang could be as much of an airhead as herself, if not more so. What if she had gotten on the wrong shuttle? What if she had overslept and missed their flight? What if something had happened to her over the weekend? What if she hadn't made it back yet and was about to be expelled before school had even started?

Ruby shook her head and took a deep breath. There was only one thing to be done: she had to find her sister and make sure that she hadn't screwed up!

The passenger section itself wasn't hard to find. A short hallway, displaying some maps and timetables, lead into an open room that constituted most of the airship. Uncomfortable plastic seats were framing the side walls, which were dominated by large panorama windows. Not that Ruby could see much of either.

Judging by the crowd, one could have been mistaken for having caught a shuttle at the height of rush hour rather than in the middle of the morning when most people who had somewhere to go for the day had already gone there.

Every corner of the room was filled with bright-eyed young people on their way to their future home, but there was no sign of Yang, which didn't bode well. The tall blond was hard to miss, even in a crowd. Then again, she wasn't one to listen to signs saying stuff like "Restricted Area" or "Staff Only" and might just have wandered off to explore after getting bored.

With that in mind, Ruby picked the first person at hand—a scrawny guy not much taller than herself—tapped him on the shoulder, and steeled herself in order to make sure that she wouldn't do anything stupid.

It wasn't like she was banking on making any friends for life on the airship, but Yang always said that one shouldn't antagonize people without a reason, and Ruby was determined to make a good first impression with as many people as possible before screwing up somehow and putting her foot in her mouth. Which she would, sooner rather than later.

Coming face-to-face with the guy, she barely managed to contain a snort by slapping her hands over her mouth. A heavily gelled strip of hair ran down the middle of his otherwise shaved head, and he was staring down at her over a massive hook nose from a neck that seemed entirely too thin and long.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No, not at all! I mean, you sorta look like a chicken, but I didn't mean to—"

He glared at her with disdain.

So much for your first successful interaction with a fellow student. Way to go, Ruby!

"Sorry, I, uh, was wondering if you'd seen my sister? She's about this tall"—Ruby pointed about a head and a half above herself—"and has long blond hair. She's kinda hard to miss."

He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Ruby was confused, but before she could ask what she had done wrong now, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around only to find herself smothered in an ample cleavage wrapped in a very familiar bright-orange top.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang said happily as she squeezed the life out of Ruby.

"Please stop!" Ruby groaned with what little air she had left in her lungs.

Much to her relief, she was released from her sister's monstrous bear hug, but her torture wasn't over yet. Yang had jumped back a step and was bouncing on her heels with excitement, which was quickly drawing the attention of everyone around them.

"But I'm so proud of you!"

"Really, Sis, it was nothing," Ruby said trying to sound as humble as possible. She had to stop her sister's rampart praising and calm her down before she could cause an even bigger scene.

"What do you mean? Blowing the headmaster off his feet and getting scouted by him personally isn't nothing. Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees!"

"I don't want to be the bee's knees, okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees. I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."

"What's with you? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited. I just…" Ruby sighed. The direct route might be the only way to get through her sister's thick skull at this point. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."

Yang moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulders. "But you are special."

Ruby's protest was cut off by a projection of a local news feed appearing overlaid onto some of the airship's windows.

Apparently, Roman Torchwick had robbed yet another dust shop and was still at large. A stark reminder of how non-special she truly was. She had gotten her ticket to Beacon for stopping Torchwick from robbing one little store, but what had she actually achieved? The place had gotten smashed up in the process, and Torchwick had gotten away scot-free to continue his crime spree. It had felt like a victory at the time, but now, it made her feel like she had made it to Beacon under false pretenses.

Ruby noticed Yang glowering at the screen. She didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what was going on in her sister's head: Torchwick had tried to kill her baby sister, and he better hope that they would never cross paths or she would beat the stuffing out of him and then some.

The broadcast moved on to a story about a peaceful civil rights demonstration that had been disrupted by the White Fang. The faunus—a people sporting a variety of animal features—had been fighting for equal rights ever since the Great War had come to a close decades before. Usually, their demonstrations were peaceful protests, disrupting little more than the flow of traffic in the area, but the White Fang liked to interfere, using violence and terror against humans and faunus alike to achieve their goals. Whatever exactly those might be. Ruby had never been all to clear about that part.

The news feed switched to the weather forecast and was cut off by the projection of a woman in a black vest and pencil skirt over a frilly white blouse. Thin wire-frame glasses sat low on her nose, and her blond hair was made up in a loose bun. Everything about her screamed prim-and-proper governess; everything but the purple swirly-arrowed cape on her back.

 _"Hello, and welcome to Beacon!"_ the projection of Glynda Goodwitch, Beacon's second-in-command, said. _"Those of you who have made it this far have demonstrated the courage and talent necessary to protect our world. Now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training needed to succeed at your task."_

"Well," Yang said after the projection had disappeared rather abruptly, "that was short and direct. She's not much of a speechwriter, is she?"

Ruby couldn't be bothered to answer as she jumped toward the newly unobfuscated window in childlike wonder. "Oh, wow!" she said, planting both her palms against the glass pane. "Look, you can see all the way to Patch from up here!"

She had, of course, ridden on airships before—it was the quickest and safest way to make the trip from Patch to Vale and back—but never on one that would rise up as high into the sky as those who needed to clear the massive plateau Beacon had been built upon. Being able not only to see the entirety of Vale from above but all the way out over the bay to the island she had called home for the last sixteen years of her life was an amazing experience.

"I guess home isn't too far away after all."

"That's in the past though," Yang said, putting her arm back around her sister's shoulders. "Beacon is our home now."

Their moment was rudely interrupted by loud groaning noises. Next to them, hunched over the railing, stood a blond boy in jeans and a dark hoodie who looked like he was about to lose his breakfast. He did manage to compose himself long enough to run past Yang and Ruby without puking directly onto them, but he hadn't missed by much.

"Well," Yang said as she shoved Ruby as far too to the side as she could given the cramped conditions, "I guess the view isn't for everyone."

"It was a nice moment while it lasted."

Yang nodded and gave an affectionate smile that made Ruby's heart flutter. Moments like that made it clear to her that she would always love her big sister no matter what the future would hold or how infuriating she could be at times.

They both returned their attention to the panorama windows, watching on as they slowly inched closer toward their destination.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet," Ruby said, lost in thought.

"I just hope they are better than Vomit Boy."

The unwanted reminder drew Ruby's eyes back to the spot where the guy's former breakfast decorated the floor. "Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your boots!"

Yang's head snapped down, eyes wide in horror. "Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" she cried, desperately looking for something to rub her boots against.

Ruby, finding herself in serious danger of becoming said something, struggled against her sister's hold. A futile effort under normal circumstances, but Yang was distracted enough by the puke stains to allow for an opening.

"Stay away from me!" Ruby yelled, duffel bag in hand, as she jumped out of reach.

Yang didn't listen, forcing Ruby to repeat her warning as she stood ready to take another inhumanly fast step toward safety. Fortunately, she didn't have to take it.

It was too soon to relax just yet though. Her sister had only switched targets. She was scanning the crowd with a disconcerting look in her eyes, but the guy who had caused the whole mess was nowhere to be found, and Yang's anger tended to disperse almost as quickly as it could rise. Her shoulders slumped with a sigh, and she leaned against the railing in front of the windows.

Ruby took the time to rummage through her bag, looking for a pack of tissues. The leather of her sister's beloved boots would need a proper clean once they had settled in at Beacon, but getting rid of the worst of it would go a long way in keeping Yang's anger in check and the perpetrator out of the infirmary should they end up running into him again.

With the situation defused, Ruby dared to return to her sister's side where she enjoyed the remainder of the trip in silence, not looking back at her past at Signal but forward to her future at Beacon.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And there we are with the first chapter of any story I've ever released (albeit in a heavily revised version), and the truth is, I'm somewhat torn about it.

Despite the story being a novelization, the first chapter diverges quite a bit from the original, mostly because I wanted to highlight the difference in approach to the material by showing not the opening fight (which, really, is just another fight of which there will be many) but rather the aftermath and the in-between. The more mundane parts of the story, if you will. That is not to say that RWBYNov will not focus on the important events shown in canon—it will—but rather that it will add a lot of the intermediate, of the more personal moments to flesh out the world, the story, and the characters.

In that regard, I do believe that this chapter succeeded, however, having gone over it again for the revision, I have to admit that opening with a focus on Ruby is somewhat misleading. Yes, Ruby and Weiss are main characters of the story, but as with all my _RWBY_ stories, it will be Blake and Yang who will stand in as the focus of the story more often than not. I really should have opened with a piece on either of them, but at the time I first wrote this chapter, I was too wrapped up in trying to stick to the original script to add in _that_ big of a departure…

That being said, the revision (as of June 2018) introduced some of the changes I have made to the setting and the characters with later releases for consistency's sake, so, as I plan on doing with all future revisions that go beyond simple changes in style, grammar, and such, let's take a quick look at said changes and the rationale behind them.

What might be one of the most obvious changes, might be to the starting ages of the characters. At some point, it is remarked on that Ruby is sixteen (as opposed to fifteen in canon), which is based on the school system I've devised for this setting. In a nutshell, I've gone through the whole thing from primary school to graduate studies to give me a fixed frame of reference on which school year and which school people were in at any given point. Previously, those references had been all over the place and it really helps to have that sort of thing written down when dealing with a massive story like this. But since I went with a consensus of real-world models rather than fixing the school system to the canon starting ages, everyone's age was shifted up by a year. Ruby is sixteen, while Yang, Blake, and Weiss are eighteen—give or take a few months—which isn't much of a change really, though, it does have some interesting implications for certain legal matters I've also vaguely defined.

Another change that is just barely hinted at is to Junior's gang. Personally, I believe that the way Junior and his crew were handled in canon boils down to one of the worst mistakes the showrunners have made to date. They were such a colorful bunch of characters that had immense potential to act as a shady third party with ties to both major factions, and having just "forgotten" about them as the story moved on is such waste.

I do plan on having them pop up now and then when it's opportune, but for now, it's mostly about their style. To me, Junior's gang screams Chinese ax gang (check out _Kung Fu Hustle_ if you don't know what I'm talking about), hence the reference to guns and hatchets rather than swords. And it's not just their dress code that leads me to that comparison. At the end of the day, they are thugs. They aren't militant terrorist like the White Fang or elite warriors like the huntsmen, but thugs. Organized crime, yes, but their main targets are ordinary people and their main adversaries are the cops, not what whatever horrors lurk beyond the walls.

Their weapons of choice should reflect that. They should be readily available, hard to trace, and easily concealable. They would be things like pistols, knives, brass knuckles, or the occasional Tommy Gun—should they need heavy firepower—but also tools that can stand in as weapons, like, say, a hatchet, which will be their signature. Swords just don't fit them, in my opinion.

And lastly, there's the Glynda connection. I don't believe that it is entirely realistic that Yang had absolutely no idea who Glynda was. For starters, Glynda is the second in command of the school Yang had signed up to, a very popular elite school, no less. And even though Yang is not the type to look that sort of thing up, Glynda is far too involved in the running of the school for them not to have crossed paths at least from a distance at some entrance exam or another.

Additionally, there are several family connections with Qrow working for Ozpin (although, that, likely, is a secret from the girls at that point in the story), Taiyang working for Signal (which is basically a prep school for Beacon), and the parents' generation likely having attended Beacon roughly at the same time if some future dialog between Glynda, Ironwood, and the likes is anything to go by.

In order not to have to introduce too many changes, I went with Yang and Glynda having never met in person before, but Yang's complete ignorance had bugged me from the moment I had allowed it to stay in the original script of this chapter, so I tinkered with her comment on Glynda's airship speech a bit to represent that.

Speaking of speeches, they are all terrible. Doesn't matter if they are given by Ozpin, Glynda, or Pyrrha. They tend to be stilted, have no message, or flat-out make no sense, and I don't think there is a single speech in the series that I don't end up trying to revise to some degree. Unfortunately, they tend to be beyond saving, at least for someone of my ineptitude at speech writing. Glynda's speech here is no exception…

Now, as always, please let me know what you think, and feel free to drop by on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites) for news and further information on this and other stories in the works.

That is all.


	3. The Shining Beacon

**The Shining Beacon**

As the airship descended toward Beacon's central docking platform, the giant flippers that had been moving it through the sky like a man-made turtle moved to their holding positions. Moments later, a jolt ran through it as the docking clamps locked into place. Suspended precariously over the towering cliff that housed the elite academy, the hum of the engines died down and the gaggle of students trapped in the belly of the mechanical beast started to shift.

Yang was in no hurry to leave. There was plenty of time left before the official welcoming ceremony was set to begin, and even if she happened to miss it, who would notice anyway?

Not everyone was as relaxed as Yang though. A bunch of overexcited students tried to push their way through the crowd toward the exit. The shuffling match brought out a disgruntled-looking flight attendant who gave a stern and incredibly boring lecture about the proper way of disembarking an airship and how it would prevent the downfall of modern civilization or something along those lines.

Yang couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculous man directing people down the ramp like an air traffic controller, which earned her a disapproving glare.

"Sheesh," she said, rolling her eyes.

Ruby furrowed her brows. "He was kind of a jerk when I got to the shuttle too. Don't think he likes us very much."

"Some people just need to lighten up."

Ruby nodded, and they continued down the ramp in silence.

The airship terminal itself consisted of three large round plazas partially sticking out over the cliff. They were lined with benches, trash cans, notice boards, and vending machines, turning them into functional, if a bit utilitarian, waiting areas. Two of the platforms were currently inhabited by passenger airships while a third was approaching in the distance.

A familiar retching sound caught Yang's attention. Vomit Boy was draped over one of the trash cans next to the ramp, relieving himself of whatever was left of his breakfast. She smirked menacingly. Her hunt for the guy who had dared to puke on her favorite boots might have been cut short before, but she wouldn't let a chance like that slip through her fingers.

Before she could get anywhere near him though, she was stopped by a tug on her skirt. Ruby was looking at her with a frown, which made Yang hesitate. "I suppose he's suffering enough as it is?" she asked, hoping to be let off the leash only to find herself being dragged away by a smug looking Ruby.

As they continued down the path toward Beacon, the herd of students was thinning out, revealing the school's impressive skyline. A breathless wow escaped the sisters as they took in the sight in front of them.

Wide paths and rows of decorative columns and arches snaked all over the place, connecting grand buildings and spires. Plenty of greenery and water features filled the open spaces on the expansive compound which was centered around a giant clock tower that dwarfed everything else in sight. It all came together in what Yang could only describe as a fairy tale castle straight out of one of Ruby's books.

"The view from Vale's got nothing on this."

Ruby, however, had already moved on from the impressive scenery. "Oh! Oh! Sis!" she squeaked. "That guy has a collapsible staff!"

Yang had barely time to pick out whom her little sister had been pointing at before she homed in on the next passer-by.

"And she's got a fire sword!"

Yang frowned as Ruby latched on to her arm trying to drag her along, but she didn't budge. The little tyke might have speed on her side, but she was a total lightweight in comparison. She might as well have tried to shift a mountain.

Having to choose between bringing Yang along and losing sight of an interesting weapon, Ruby did something she had barely ever done given the choice: she let go of her sister to wander off on her own.

But she didn't get far. Yang grabbed her by her hood and dragged her back to her side. "Easy there, little sis. They're just weapons."

"Just weapons?" Ruby said in disbelief. "They're an extension of ourselves. They are part of us!" Her eyes followed another weapon walking by. "They're so cool!"

Yang sighed. Freaking people out with her weapon obsession was not going to help Ruby make a good first impression.

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it anymore?"

Ruby grabbed the large red-and-black lump of metal suspended in the small of her back. It extended into a massive scythe with a mechanical whirr, and as if to appease it, she started petting its haft and rubbing her cheek against it with a dreamy expression.

"Of course, I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people"—the smile on her lips faded—"but better."

Seeing Ruby that way highlighted Yang's major concern about letting her come to Beacon early. After years at Signal and plenty of tears and strife, her little sister had finally found some good friends only to end up stuck in a boarding school on what might as well be the other side of the kingdom. The city might only be a short shuttle ride from Beacon, but how often would they be able to make the long trip all the way back to Patch?

Ruby's friends would drift away in no time, and she would have to start all over again, dealing not only with the age gap but the stigma of special treatment on top of everything else. It might be best to take action before she could build a reputation that would only make her life even more difficult than it had to be.

"Ruby, come on, why don't you go and try to make some friends of your own?" Yang asked, ruffling a crooked brunet mop only to be faced with adorable puppy dog eyes marred in confusion.

"But why would I need friends when I have you?"

Yang suppressed a sigh. As much as she loved having Ruby around, letting her hide behind her skirt would do her no favors.

"Well, actually—" She put her hands on Ruby's shoulders and stalled. After a quick look around she found what she had been looking for in order to put her plan into action. "I just saw some of my friends over there and, you know, really should say hello."

Ruby frowned, but before she could complain, Yang pulled her hood over her eyes, spun her dizzy, and slipped away into the crowd.

The stage was set. It was all up to Ruby now.

* * *

Blake Belladonna took a deep breath of fresh air. Being stuck in a floating metal box filled to the brim with armed strangers wasn't her idea of fun on the best of days. Doing so in an airship with broken climate controls had turned it into a harrowing experience. Apparently, the heater had been stuck on high, and their schedule hadn't allowed for repairs or a replacement airship. The smirk on the flight attendant's lips as he had relayed the transportation office's apologies had made her wonder though.

Not that it mattered anymore. The heat and the offending body odors of their sauna had been all but forgotten as she walked down the ramp. Her unease about being surrounded had not. Blake took the first chance she got to break away from the crowd and put her luggage down on one of the wooden benches lining the landing platform. She rummaged through it, pretending to be looking for something, until only a few stragglers remained.

Armed with one of her many books, she followed her fellow students down the path toward Beacon. Blake kept a few yards of distance between herself and her peers and covertly studied her surroundings from behind her cover. It may have been paranoid, but everyone in the vicinity was good enough to pass the entrance exams to one of the foremost combat academies in the world. She wasn't going to take any chances until she knew—

Her ears perked up, and she instinctively jumped into a defensive stance with her book held out in front of her like a shield and her free hand hovering over her shoulder, ready to draw Gambol Shroud at a moments notice.

Instead of in immediate danger—the sound of a weapon activating close by had been unmistakable—she found herself the center of attention. Faint whispers were being exchanged about her behavior as it dawned on her what she had done. Her sensitive ears had picked up a noise beyond a human's hearing, and she had sprung into action without thinking. Her former life had taught her never to be unprepared or to hesitate—a necessity of survival that had turned out to be a poor guide in her current situation.

Blake relaxed her stance and offered an apologetic smile. Her audience's attention waned almost as quickly as it had appeared, but there was a good chance that she had turned herself into a subject of gossip before even making it all the way to the school gates.

There was a more pressing issue at hand though: somewhere close by was an active weapon and she wouldn't be able to relax until she knew for certain that it was of no danger to her.

A quick look around the area revealed a pocket in the stream of students coming from another airship. People were steering clear of what looked like a mountain of golden locks in boots and a small girl in a red cape fondling a massive scythe.

Blake relaxed as the girl put the weapon away without causing any trouble. The scene had been one of the most bizarre sights she had seen in a while, but she had overreacted. Nobody would strike at her in the middle of a crowd in broad daylight. Not this close to Beacon anyway.

Blake hung back watching the two girls from a safe distance. The tall blond seemed to be looking for something before spinning the smaller girl in circles and running off. It had looked playful, but the stern expression on the blond's face bothered Blake.

The crowd, as well as the noise that came with it, had mostly cleared by the time the smaller girl had stopped spinning.

"Are we supposed to go to our dorms?"

The girl was stumbling about, trying to catch her footing.

"Where are our dorms?"

She started to wobble.

"Do we have dorms?"

A large hotel trolley filled with white suitcases appeared behind her.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she muttered in a pitiful voice.

Blake watched the trolley and the girl closing the distance between them at a snail's pace. The slow-motion collision should have been harmless, but the girl stumbled at the last second and fell into the trolley, toppling the mountain of luggage it carried.

"What are you doing?" a shrill voice demanded to know.

Blake's eyes went wide, and she quickly hid her face behind her book again. She had been too focused on the girl in the cape to notice the figure that had appeared alongside the trolley.

"Uh, sorry?"

"Sorry? Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?"

White dress and jacket covered in snowflake motives.

The girl in the cape picked up a case trying to help, but it was quickly yanked out of her hands.

"Give me that!"

Icy blue eyes, fair skin, white hair.

The liberated piece of luggage was opened and presented like a salesman's sample case. "This is dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry."

A Schnee! Of all the people to run into… Blake closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to play this smart and be extremely careful. Any slipup in front of a Schnee and she could say goodbye to her new life.

"What are you? Brain dead?" The Schnee girl took out a jar of red dust and snapped the case shut, dispersing a multicolored cloud in the process.

Blake stared at her, baffled. She was carrying cases filled with raw dust without keeping it properly packaged and sealed?

"Dust! Fire, water, lightning, ice!" Every word was punctuated by a shake of the jar and a sprinkle of red.

The girl in the cape had gotten back on her feet and found herself standing in a multicolored cloud.

"Are you even listening to me?"

She breathed in some dust.

"Is any of this sinking in?"

Blake could see the inevitable from a mile away, but the other girls seemed to be oblivious of the danger they were in.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

A sneeze turned into a loud bang, and the two of them were caught in a ball of fire. Ice crystals blinked in and out of existence and streaks of lightning spread throughout the cloud. A visually impressive display that, surprisingly enough, hadn't caused any serious damage. The girls were covered in soot and coughing heavily but seemed otherwise unscathed.

A clinking noise drew Blake's attention to her feet where a glass jar had come to a halt. She picked it up and took a closer look. Pure fire dust. If the explosion had set off the entire jar rather than just the sprinkles that had escaped its seal, the girls could have been blown to bits. At the very least, they would be on their way to the infirmary instead of the welcoming ceremony.

"This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

The girl in the cape was nervously playing with her fingers. Her shoulders had slumped and her head was hanging low. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Ugh, you complete dolt!"

Blake couldn't take it anymore. The arrogance, the refusal to take responsibility, the complete disregard for others; it was exactly why so many of her people hated the Schnee family. The other girl didn't deserve to be treated like that, and Blake might as well find out if she had to run before her time as a huntress-in-training had even begun. With her mind made up, she put her book away and walked toward the pair.

"What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, I—"

"This isn't your ordinary combat school, you know. It's not just sparring and practice. We are here to fight monsters, so, watch where you're going!"

"Hey! I said I was sorry, princess!"

Blake could barely contain a chuckle. The girl seemed to have moved past her shock and was finding her voice. Good for her, but it was time to move in for the kill.

"It's heiress, actually." Two pairs of eyes snapped in her direction. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." The crooked scar over her left eye had left little doubt about her identity. "One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

"Finally, some recognition!"

A smirk crept into Blake's features. "The same company infamous for the controversial treatment of its labor force and questionable business practices."

"What? How dare you!"

Weiss got into Blake's face staring her down. It was the moment she had dreaded, the moment that would decide if she had wasted a lot of time and effort getting into Beacon only to be ousted by a chance encounter at its doorstep.

"The nerve of—"

Blake's heart skipped a beat as Weiss leaned in even closer, but nothing happened. The Schnee heiress snatched the jar of dust out of her hand, turned around with a dramatic snort, and walked away.

In the clear for the time being, Blake let go of the breath she had been holding, but she knew that it was far from over. Attending Beacon had just gotten a lot more complicated than she had ever expected.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" the other girl shouted after Weiss.

It was Blake's chance to slip away. Staying clear of any Schnee was imperative, and she would rather err on the side of caution when it came to any of her "acquaintances."

"I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day," the girl in the cape mumbled. "So what's—" She had perked up for a moment but quickly lost her spunk again.

Blake took a deep breath. She had to get a grip on herself and remember her most important rule:

Do _not_ draw attention to yourself!

* * *

Ruby was about done with the day. She had never understood why people hated Mondays, until now. How could it have turned out this way? It was her first day at Beacon. It should be the best day of her life! Instead, she had been spun dizzy, abandoned, lectured, blown up, insulted, and abandoned again, twice! And that was only after she had left the airship.

She couldn't be bothered anymore and slumped down, falling flat on her back in the middle of the path. "Welcome to Beacon," she mumbled to herself as her eyes fell shut.

Her peace and quiet didn't last for long though. All she had wanted to do was to enjoy the warmth of the sun while pretending that it had all been just a bad dream. Of course, someone had to rob her even of that small pleasure in life.

Ruby opened her eyes and squinted at the dark outline offset against the bright sky. Not Yang, not enough hair…

"Hey," a male voice said as she was offered a hand. "I'm Jaune."

She leaned up and accepted his help. "Ruby."

The guy hoisted her to her feet giving her the chance to take a closer look. "Vomit Boy?"

All she got was an empty stare.

"Aren't you the guy who threw up on the airship?"

He laughed uncomfortably.

"I take that as a yes."

His shoulders slumped with a loud sigh.

"Right, anyway"—Ruby took a look around—"looks like everybody else is gone. We should probably head for the welcoming speech thingy too."

"I guess so."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as they walked away from the terminal.

"It was just motion sickness, you know? I couldn't help it," Jaune said out of nowhere.

"What?"

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on."

"Look, I'm sorry. Vomit Boy was just the first thing that came to mind," and I wasn't even the one who came up with it…

"Oh yeah, what if I called you Crater Face?"

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!"

They glared at each other for a moment, before they broke out in giggles.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc!" he said, pointing a thumb at his chest. "Short, sweet, the ladies love it!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "They do?"

"They will! Well, I hope they will. I mean, my mom always says, uh, never mind…"

Ruby chuckled. His confidence hadn't lasted long, but he was the nicest person she had met so far. Maybe the day wasn't a total loss after all.

Unfortunately, the uncomfortable silence returned. Desperately fishing for a topic of conversation, Ruby's fingers found the lump of metal on her back as they often did when she was nervous or uneasy. She might as well try.

"So, I got this." She drew Crimson Rose and let it unfold.

"Whoa!" Jaune jumped back and raised his hands in defense. "Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle."

"A wha—?"

Ruby cocked the bolt-action mechanism. "It's also a gun!"

"Oh, that's cool!"

"So, what have you got?"

"I, uh"—he drew his weapon, a straight-bladed, double-edged sword with a blue hilt—"got this sword. And a shield too." He removed his scabbard from his belt. It unfolded into a white heater shield decorated with a golden double arc.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked, poking the shield.

It went into a frenzy, folding and unfolding at will. Jaune tried but failed to juggle the stubborn thing and ended up dropping it on the ground after a few fumbles. He quickly picked it up again and folded it back into its scabbard form. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just put it away."

"But, wouldn't it weigh the same?"

His shoulders slumped. "Yeah, it does."

"Well"—Ruby chuckled nervously—"I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I did go a little overboard designing mine."

"Wait, you made that?"

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn't you make yours?"

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me." Ruby let her trained eye roam over the sheathed sword again. It might not have been teaming with features, but the craftsmanship was outstanding. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics…"

Ruby got the feeling that she shouldn't push the topic. Whatever his weapon was all about, talking about it was ruining the mood.

"So, why did you help me out back there?"

Jaune perked up. "Why not? My mom always says, 'strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"

Could she actually have made a friend? If so, she should repay the favor before it was too late. "Word of advice," she said in a serious tone, "steer clear of my sister for a couple of days."

"Your sister?"

"Yeah, tall, blond, curvy. Stood next to me on the airship right about when you puked on the floor."

"Oh."

"Yeah, you, sort of, grazed her boots with your, you know."

Jaune's eyes went wide.

"You were lucky you weren't in arm's reach when she noticed. Although, thanks to you, I nearly became a vomit wipe."

"Sorry…"

"And when we left the airship, and you were draped over that trash can, I had to stop her from enacting her revenge." Ruby tapped her index finger against her chin lost in thought. "She had mostly calmed down by then though, so I don't think it would have been anything too bad. Might have stuffed you in head-first and rolled you down the path or something."

"Right," he squeaked, "nothing too bad. What would she have done if she had caught me right away?"

Ruby thought it better to spare him the answer. "Just don't do anything stupid in front of her for a couple of days and you should be fine. Especially not your the-ladies-love-it bit. That wouldn't end well."

"Maybe I should just avoid her. For, like, a year or two."

"Nah." Ruby waved him off. "Yang's really nice and she forgives quickly. Usually, it's the first couple of seconds that decide if you end up in the hospital or have a laugh about it."

"No offense, but that doesn't sound very nice."

"She is, she just dislikes people who try to win her over by some pretense. I mean, have you seen her?"

"I was distracted. Motion sickness, remember?"

"Right, well, not to brag, but she's, like, super beautiful which draws a lot of unwanted attention. Just be yourself and you'll be friends with her in no time!"

"Why are you telling me all that?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled. "Well, you did help me out back there, and if we are going to be friends I wouldn't want you to spend your first month at Beacon in recovery."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want that either."

"Besides, she would probably get detention or something if she beat up another student on her first day even if he provoked her."

"Don't think a bad pickup line counts as provocation," Jaune mumbled under his breath, but Ruby ignored him. She was satisfied with herself. She had made a friend and saved him and her sister from getting into trouble. And all without help from a certain blond abandoner!

"Hey," she asked as her attention returned to her surroundings, "where are we going?"

"No idea. I was following you."

Great, her first friend was an airhead.

"You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court?"

Ruby chuckled. Okay, a lovable airhead.

"Some sort of recognizable landmark?

She snorted.

"Is that a no?"

"That's a no."

They still had plenty of time to find their way to the auditorium and the company was good. Monday's might not be so bad after all.

* * *

Ruby and Jaune were among the last stragglers to arrive at Beacon's auditorium. The circular, roofless arena was filled with excited freshmen gathered around a podium set up on the far side.

They had barely passed through the towering gates when Ruby heard a familiar voice.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Whoa," Jaune muttered only for Ruby to roll her eyes at the predictably male reaction to first contact with her sister.

"I know, right!" She loved her to bits, but the way people reacted to Yang made her wish that certain assets had been distributed a bit more evenly between them.

"She doesn't look all that dangerous."

"Oh, looks can be deceiving. Very deceiving. You'll find that out soon enough. Just hope you won't be the one she picks to make a point of it."

Jaune swallowed hard.

"Well, let's go! Yang's waiting!"

"Uh, you know, she only saved that one spot and I don't want to cause any more trouble today, so…" he trailed off, scanning the far side of the crowd. "Look there's an opening over there! I'll take that one."

Ruby looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Jaune was nice, but she she couldn't imagine how he would fare against the bloodthirsty, soulless monsters they were supposed to fight if a couple of vague remarks about her sister were enough to make him that nervous. But there were more important matters at hand. She had a bone to pick with Yang!

"Okay, well, I gotta go. See you after the ceremony!" Ruby yelled as she ran off toward her sister who greeted her with a wide smile.

"How's your first day going, little sis?"

Ruby crossed her arms and stared at Yang. "You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?"

"Yikes, meltdown already?"

"No, I literally exploded in front of the school! There was fire and lightning, and I think some ice too."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

Ruby groaned. "I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, or rather, you twirled me into it! And she yelled at me. And then I sneezed. And then I exploded! And then she yelled again. And I felt really, really bad. And I just wanted her to stop yelling at—"

"You!"

Ruby jumped in surprise and ended up in her sister's arms. "Oh god, it's happening again!"

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!"

Yang looked down at Ruby in surprise. "You really exploded!"

"It was an accident." Seeing the disbelief in her sister's eyes, she jumped down to face Weiss. "It was an accident!"

Instead of an answer, she got a pamphlet shoved in her face. " _Dust for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals_ ," she read out loud.

Before she could get a word in to clear up a few things about her own proficiency with dust and about what she thought of a company that would print a pamphlet with such an insulting title, Weiss broke into a rant that would have made every bored sales rep proud.

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee family highly encourages customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to dust applications and practices in the field."

Ruby stared at her dumbfounded.

"You really want to make things up to me?" Weiss asked when no reaction was forthcoming.

"Absolutely!"

She shoved the pamphlet into Ruby's hands. "Read this and don't _ever_ speak to me again!"

Yang sighed. "Look, it sounds like the two of you got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you just start over and try to be friends, okay?"

"Yeah, great idea, Sis!" Ruby cleared her throat and offered Weiss a hand. "Hello, Weiss, I'm Ruby. Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies."

Weiss brought up her arms in mock happiness "Yeah, and we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!" She pointed at a very confused looking Jaune standing in the background.

"Oh, wow, really?"

"No."

Ruby's hopes shattered leaving her in an even worse mood than before. She couldn't understand what Weiss's problem with her was. All she had done was to try and be nice and friendly. Even if Weiss didn't want to have anything to do with her, she didn't have to be so mean about it.

Distortions from the speakers prevented any further escalation of the situation between them. Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy, cleared his throat before beginning his speech. _"I'll keep this brief."_ He sounded bored. _"You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft, and acquire new skills. And when you will have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."_

Ruby looked left and right with a wide grin plastered on her face. She had dreamed about this ever since she had been a little kid. To protect people like the heroes in the stories Yang had told her over and over again.

Her peers didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. She wasn't surprised to see Yang unfazed—coming to Beacon had never been about the heroism or the ideals for her—but the look on Weiss's face worried her. If there was one thing the girl seemed to have in spades, it was confidence, but what stood next to her with its slouching posture and melancholic expression couldn't be more different.

 _"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction."_

Ruby noticed the shift in Yang from the corner of her eyes. That part of the speech had not gone over well with her sister. Where Weiss seemed depressed, Yang seemed angry. The headmaster wasn't scoring points with either of them.

 _"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."_

With that, the headmaster stepped away from the microphone. His speech had turned out a lot shorter than expected. And a lot more controversial.

Yang ran a hand through her hair—a common sign that she was trying to calm her mind and rein in her temper—making Ruby wonder what she had missed. Taking fate into her own hands should have been right up her alley.

Glynda Goodwitch stepped up to take over. " _Before we release you, I would like to go over your schedule for the remainder of the week. As first-year students, you will not be assigned dorm rooms immediately. Instead, you will spend your first two nights here at Beacon in the ballroom. Sleeping bags will be provided at the entrance if needed._

 _"Today, you will be split into small groups and shown around campus by volunteers."_ She raised her arm in the direction of a group of students standing to the side of the podium. " _Afterward, you are free to do as you please. Keep in mind that tomorrow's initiation will be very taxing and potentially life-threatening. You are advised to rest up and prepare accordingly._

" _The day after tomorrow, you will be split into teams and assigned your shared dorm rooms. There will be no special provisions made for mixed gender teams. Consider it a learning experience as you will often have to spend days, if not weeks, in close quarters with each other out in the field._

 _"Finally, your regular class schedule will begin on Thursday."_ She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. _"That is all."_

"Well, she was about what I expected," Yang said. "But the headmaster? He seemed off."

"He was nice when I met him after the robbery," Ruby said, earning her nothing but a dismissive hum.

Finding herself caught between a strangely apathetic sister and a depressed princess that, for all she knew, hated her guts and was just waiting for an excuse to bite her head off again, she wasn't sure what to do next. Mondays might be bad news after all, and just when she thought things couldn't get any more awkward, Jaune butted in to talk to Weiss.

"I'm a natural blond, you know."

At least he had the good sense not to bother Yang, but something told Ruby that an irate Weiss might be just as dangerous.

Or maybe not. Instead of coming after Jaune to do unspeakable things to him, she just lowered her head with a deep sigh and rubbed her brows.

Jaune was about to continue when his eyes met Ruby's. She shook her head and mouthed a silent "don't" in his direction. Luckily, he got the hint and backed off.

That could have gone a lot worse, but the weird mood among them continued.

Ruby sighed. Tomorrow, Crescent Rose would do the talking and everything would get better.

"Well," Yang said, still missing her usual spark, "we probably should go over there and sign up for our tour."

Ruby groaned. Tomorrow was a long way away…

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Well, looking back at it, this chapter wasn't exactly my finest work. It's not bad as such (at least in its revised form), but it shows very clearly one of the major issues all the early chapters of this story suffer from, which is a mindset of trying to strictly work within the confines of the source material rather than trying to take a more free-from approach.

The revision (as of June 2018) tried to counteract that somewhat, but success was limited. As it stands, it is a bit choppy and jumpy, the dialog doesn't flow all that well in places, and Ozpin's speech didn't quite say what I have Yang assume it said.

Most of those issues and inconsistencies go back to the fact that the scripts for the first two parts of this story started out life as one-to-one adaptions of transcripts of the show that have been extended and modified to varying degrees rather than as something written from the ground up specifically for this story, which is how things have been done from part three onward.

I will try to avoid mentioning this specific issue in my notes from here on out since it would be rather redundant to do so. Just know that I'm well aware of it and that it will get better beyond a certain point, but truly fixing it for the early chapters would have been outside of the scope of a revision.

Aside from that, the revision of this chapter only introduced changes on the cosmetic and technical side of things but nothing relevant on the content side I'm aware of, so if you are a returning reader, you probably could have skipped this chapter in its entirety, though, saying as much in a postfix note is probably not all that helpful…

Now, as always, please let me know what you think, and feel free to drop by on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites) for news and further information on this and other stories in the works.

That is all.


	4. Beauty Meets Beast

**Beauty Meets Beast**

Yang was on her way back from a long relaxing shower. A shower she had been very much in need of given recent events. Her weekend had sent her on yet another wild goose chase, which, if she was honest, was pretty much what she had come to expect over the years. She just wished she hadn't blown off Ruby for nothing at all, especially after she had found out how much effort her little sister had put into preparing for their mini vacation.

She sighed. They would have to try again soon, and now that they were at Beacon, a weekend of bonding between sisters could turn into a weekend of bonding between classmates, which might just allow Yang to kill two birds with one stone. The cost would go up, yes, but if it were to pacify Ruby and help her make some friends before the drudgery of school life could band people together in tight-knit cliques and packs, it would be worth it.

Besides, it couldn't turn out much worse than her previous efforts. Ruby had been hiding it surprisingly well, but Yang could tell that she hadn't forgiven her for the weekend yet, and throwing her into the deep end to make some friends had seemed like a sound idea, but it had driven her right into the arms of Vomit Boy and a bitchy princess, neither of which Yang considered good enough company for her little sister.

Meeting the headmaster had turned out to be the real mood killer though. She had assumed that welcoming ceremonies, as useless as they were, were meant to welcome people. "Hi, so nice to have you here!" and so on. She hadn't gone there to be insulted to her face by that ridiculous man and his equally ridiculous posturing. Who the hell did he think he was to tell them that they were nothing until he would deem them worthy of imparting his wisdom onto them anyway?

Yang scoffed. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what Ruby saw in that guy. His assistant, on the other hand, was a different matter. Confident, striking, and undoubtedly in charge. Despite her father's role at Signal and the close relationship between the two schools, Yang had never met the woman in person before, but the first impression she had made sure had lived up to what Ruby had told her after the robbery. What had stuck with Yang the most though, was the warm and motherly tone in the woman's voice. After the weekend's failure, that had hit particularly close to home…

The campus tour hadn't helped her mood either. Yang had hoped to get the dish on some of her teachers or seniors, but all it had amounted to were general directions and useless trivia. She hadn't read any of the brochures that had been handed out at Signal the year before, but the girl in charge had a very familiar looking piece of paper sticking out of her pocket.

The guide had only bored her though. What had almost pushed her over the edge were the sleazy invitations from two of the guys that had tagged along with the crowd she had used to ditch Ruby with. They had gotten it into their heads that she had been coming on to them and wanted to have some "fun" later that night. Back at Signal, she would have broken a nose or two to show how much she appreciated the offer, but she was trying hard not to start her time at Beacon on a bad note. It was a close call…

Dinner had mostly made up for it though. The food had been decent, and Ruby had an interesting story or two to tell. Her tour had been more fruitful than Yang's, and she had spilled the beans on her meeting with the bitchy princess. Apparently, Ruby had made another new acquaintance who had appeared out of nowhere, turned Weiss into a stammering mess with a smile on her face, and disappeared again. Yang was intrigued. She might have to smoke the girl out and see for herself what her sister's knight in sarcastic armor was all about.

Not that night though. It was Ruby's turn to get some attention from her big sister.

Yang made her way back through the minefield of lecherous looks, pickup lines, and former classmates begging for attention that was Beacon's temporary barracks. She and Ruby had bunked in the far corner away from all interruptions, hoping for a bit of privacy. It wasn't a weekend full of fun and games as they painted the town red, but it was a start.

Ruby had settled down in her favorite rose-print pajamas. A sleeping mask, modeled after the eerie red eyes of the grimm, sat crooked on her forehead. Yang had given it to her as a birthday present one year, and she had worn it every night since. It was as adorable a sight as it had been on the first day.

"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang said as she plopped down on her sleeping bag, making her little sister jump and almost drop her pencil.

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys though," Ruby said before focusing back on what she was writing.

"I know I do!" Yang said with a purr.

Her attempt of lightening the mood died in her throat the moment her eyes fell on _Jaune_ —Ruby had been insistent on dropping his nickname during dinner—wearing blue onesie pajamas with bunny heads on his feet. He noticed and gave Yang a smarmy smile that made her shudder, but his confidence was fleeting. A panicked look crept into his features, and he scurried away before Yang could figure out what had happened.

She hadn't accidentally given him the evil eye, had she? Not that it mattered. Yang was more interested in what had Ruby so captivated. She propped herself up on her elbow to sneak a peek. "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Yang said only to be toppled over by a pillow to the face.

"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to Beacon. It's weird not knowing anyone."

Yang sighed. Personally, she wouldn't have minded a blank slate. Already knowing people was causing her nothing but trouble she could do without, but she understood where Ruby was coming from.

"What about Jaune? He's nice?" She was scraping the bottom of the onesie-clad barrel, but if it would help with cheering up her little sister, she was willing to go there. "There you go, plus one friend!"

Ruby flipped over in her sleeping bag and became very interested in the high ceiling. "I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero."

"There is no such thing as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy."

Her sister's favorite corgi-shaped pillow smacked her in the face.

"Look," Yang said with a sigh as she propped herself up on her elbows, "it's only been a day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

"You know, Jaune's mom said almost the same thing to him."

Yang groaned. She wasn't surprised that the guy in the bunny onesie was quoting his mom to a girl he had just met, but what did it say about her that she had come up with the same thing?

Silence fell over their camp as Ruby went back to writing her letter. Yang didn't want to disturb her sister any more while she was working on something that was important to her, so she focused on their surroundings instead. The next day they would face their initiation, and three of the people scattered around the room would become part of her team. They would be bound together until graduation. A tall order, especially if they were to turn out to be the wrong people.

Her eyes wandered from face to face—familiar and unfamiliar—wondering how she could make sure that that wasn't going to happen, but it didn't take long for her to pack it in. There was no point in overthinking or overcomplicating things when there was a far simpler solution at hand: she would plow through whatever challenges thrown at her at full steam, and whoever managed to keep up should do.

Ruby was taking her sweet time with her letter though, and Yang ended up watching the people in the room just to pass the time. As it turned out, there was plenty of entertainment to be found among their classmates. Like Pyrrha Nikos, minor celebrity and prodigy fighter, who had been cornered by a group of fawning fans, looking very uncomfortable. She was a lucky draw for Yang that should make combat practice a lot more entertaining and a good contender for a teammate if her reputation was anything to go by.

There was also Weiss, whose mountain of luggage stood tall and lonely in the middle of the room. The rich princess had already turned in for the night. All by herself. Someone had clearly never been to camp before, or they would understand how tempting a target they had made themselves for some pranky retribution.

Yang eventually settled on watching Jaune, who was strutting around the room in his ridiculous pajamas, trying to chat up girls with predictably limited success.

He was about to approach a group of particularly unpleasant girls from Signal when a pair of amber eyes ripped her attention away from the prowling buffoon. Slumped against the wall in the corner of the ballroom sat a lone figure reading a book in the light of some candles. Or was she? The girl's eyes kept popping up from her book periodically, darting all over the place.

They were mesmerizing. Flawless almost golden orbs of amber that seemed to pop in the dark. A rare shade of color in these parts, but there was something else about them that made them stand out. Something Yang couldn't quite put her finger on.

The girl's routine continued. She was trying to be inconspicuous, and she might have been able to fool most people around, but Yang wasn't most people. Was she worried about their initiation and trying to scout teammates? No, it felt a lot more immediate than that. It was anxiety, maybe even fear, that Yang saw in those eyes.

Her behavior wasn't the only thing that worried Yang. She was sitting on the cold stone floor, in skimpy robes, with no sign of a sleeping bag or even a blanket nearby. Was she intending to spend the night huddled into her corner like that? What could have her so worried about her fellow students that she would do that to herself? On the night before their initiation, no less.

Yang had spent enough time in the rougher parts of the world to know that the girl was serious about what she was doing. Whatever her story, there was no doubt that she was no wide-eyed graduate fresh out of a primary combat school like most of the people in the room, which only helped to make her more interesting.

Then, it happened. Their eyes met, and just for a split second, two amber orbs went wide in surprise before the girl's expression settled into an unwavering scowl. She wore her mask well, but it couldn't change the fact that her momentary lapse had given away the hidden truth, which made her feel more like a cornered animal ready to lash out in fear than someone firmly in charge of the situation.

Getting caught couldn't have helped disperse whatever fears had been plaguing the girl, and with every second Yang held her striking gaze, she would only make things worse. She needed a way out, but she wouldn't just give in either. No, she needed an exit that would leave an impression.

Yang's lips curled up in a smirk as she came up with the perfect plan. She made sure that she had the girl's full attention before she gave her her best seductive smile and wink. Her adversaries eyes went wide again before she dove back behind the cover of her book, much to Yang's amusement.

"—ang? Hey Yang, are you listening to me?" Ruby asked waving a hand in front of her face.

"Uh? Sorry, what was that?"

"You were sitting there all quiet for ages and suddenly started chuckling at nothing. That's creepy, stop it!"

Yang hummed. Her eyes were still glued to what had turned out to be the most interesting person in the room.

"Oh, that girl…"

"You know her?"

"Not really. She's the one who saw what happened with Weiss, but she left before I could say anything."

Yang couldn't believe her luck. Of all the people to draw her attention, it had been her sister's savior? Perfect!

She got up and yanked Ruby along. "Well, now's your chance to get to know her!"

"Hey, wait! What are you doing?"

* * *

Looking back at it, Blake's day had gone a lot better than she had feared it would. Sure, the airship ride had been an ordeal and meeting a Schnee face-to-face could be considered suicidal, but it had provided one invaluable insight: Weiss didn't know anything about her.

Blake's mind kept coming back to the girl in the red cape and how pitiful she had sounded, but the welcoming ceremony had vindicated her caution. As expected, the girl had met up with the tall blond and Weiss hadn't been far behind.

The rest of the day had been smooth sailing with some minor hiccups like the tour of the campus, which had been a waste of time. Blake had thoroughly researched Beacon beforehand, collecting every scrap of information she could find: faculty, history, coursework, even details on some outstanding students and alumni. Preparation was key to avoiding mistakes, and it had paid off, in a way. At the very least, she had known more about Beacon than her guide whose tour had been full of factual errors, gossip, and hearsay.

Her plan for the rest of the day couldn't have been more straightforward: get dinner, take a shower, and read a good book.

By the time dinner had rolled around things had looked up. The food had been surprisingly enjoyable and the dining hall large enough for her to find a remote spot free of any distractions. Her shower had been a different matter. Blake had barely stepped into her stall when a very persistent but not very talented girl had ruined her peace and quiet with some off-key song she had never heard before. With no end in sight and any chance of finding some relaxation gone, she had decided to cut her losses and returned to the ballroom.

Blake picked up her three-pronged candelabra and lit the half-used candles it held. It was an anachronism in times of dust-powered appliances and machinery, but no artificial light source could match the gentle glow of real flames. The heavy brass fixture's halo soothed her mind and made her feel at home. The only home she had left after breaking with her former life.

She picked up the book that would keep her company for the evening and tried to push the thought out of her mind. Maybe she would find a real home one day, maybe she would spend the rest of her life as a vagabond, but whatever the future might hold in store for her, she wouldn't find the answer that evening. Instead, she silenced her mind by sending it to another world, taking the role of another person and living another life.

For a while, it provided enough of a distraction to forget about her situation, but it wasn't to last. The noise of her surroundings kept her from enjoying her book in gleeful ignorance, the noise of several dozen strangers capable enough to be admitted to an elite combat academy hanging out in too close proximity for comfort.

Blake was confident in her abilities, but if enough of them were to gang up on her, getting away would be difficult. Not that she had given any of them a reason to do so, yet, but the idea that they could was enough to send her mind racing.

Using her book as cover, she started to map her surroundings. Doors, windows, pillars, ledges; anything that could be used to traverse the room and allow for a quick exit was carefully cataloged in her mind. Next were the students. She tried to assess their strengths, weaknesses, personalities, moods, awareness of their surroundings; any bit of information she could glean given the circumstances.

The rational part of her brain told her that she was being silly. She couldn't start off the next four years of her life by treating her classmates like enemies, and whenever her mind caught on to what she was doing, she forced herself to go back to reading her book. But she rarely lasted for more than a couple of paragraphs before her attention started to wander again.

She had nearly finished her sweep of the room, certain that nobody had noticed. After all, she had spent years of her life living in the shadows. A bunch of combat school graduates, still green behind their ears, couldn't possibly be able to make her even if they tried.

Blake gave herself a satisfied nod before she took another peek at the room only to freeze like a deer caught in the headlights. The troublesome blond was lying on top of her sleeping bag, lazily propped up on her elbow, watching her. There was no telling for how long she had been doing so, only that it had been too long.

Having regained her composure almost as quickly as she had lost it, Blake glared at the girl trying to scare her off, but an ominous smirk destroyed whatever hopes she had held of getting out of the situation unscathed.

They held each other's gaze for what felt like a small eternity with neither of them showing any signs of giving in, before the smirk turned into a seductive smile punctuated by a wink that sent a shiver down Blake's spine and had her diving back behind her cover with her heart racing.

She had absolutely no idea what had happened. Why had she ducked behind cover as if someone had taken a shot at her? Why had her body reacted with a rush of adrenaline and excitement? And why had she insisted on holding the blond's gaze in the first place? If she had just looked away immediately, she could have played it off as shyness or a minor case of well-justified social anxiety given their situation.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Her heartbeat slowed and the heat left her face. She had screwed up, badly. Why, of all people, did it have to be the blond troublemaker? She had known something was wrong with that girl the moment she had spotted her at the airship terminal. And what was that reaction for? Who looks at a scowling stranger and winks at them? What was she up to? She couldn't possibly—

Blake cut herself off. The situation was bad but not unsalvageable as long as she stayed calm and focused on what needed to be done. The blond would forget about her soon enough, and even if she caused a rumor or two in the meantime, as long as Blake wouldn't add fuel to the flames, they would die down in no time. All she had to do was to pretend that nothing had happened and make sure that she wouldn't acknowledge the girl in any way.

Blake returned to her book. No matter how strong the urge to check on her surroundings, she would force herself to keep her eyes on the pages. The blond could study a perfectly ordinary and boring girl reading.

Barely a page later, Blake's ears perked up. A surprised yelp had made it all the way to her side of the room.

She wouldn't…

The tapping of bare feet on the stone floor was getting closer and closer.

No, no, no, no. Blake kept reading her book. None of what she was hearing was happening. Her mind was playing tricks on her after concocting the worst case scenario. Everything was alright.

"Hello!"

Blake cringed and lowered her book just enough to get a look at the intruders bound for her little cove. The girl in the red cape—not actually wearing her cape—was getting dragged along by the blond whose skimpy pajamas barely deserved the title. The bouncing curtain of gold flowing over her shoulders and her exuberantly waving arm seemed to be conspiring to make her stand out even more, and the stupid smile on her face completed the picture. From the corner of her eye, Blake could see every guy—and quite a few girls—within earshot transfixed on her swaying hips.

The two intruders came to a halt just shy of bursting the bubble of Blake's personal space. The blond loomed over her with a cocky smile, while the younger girl, who had been dragged over under protest, had turned her back on her and crossed her arms.

"I believe you two may know each other?" the blond asked, gesturing at the pouting girl.

Blake looked at her with squinted eyes and deliberately delayed her answer. "Aren't you the girl that exploded?"

Rather than taking offense as hoped, bringing up her faux pas seemed to have washed away all of her annoyance and resistance in a heartbeat. "Uh, yeah," she said, offering her hand. "The name's Ruby."

Blake ignored it and brought her attention back to her book.

"But you can call me Crater—Actually, you can just call me Ruby," she said as she withdrew her hand.

"Okay."

"What are you doing?" the blond whispered loud enough to defeat the point of whispering.

"I don't know! Help me!" Ruby said in an equally useless whisper.

"So, what's your name?"

Blake peeked over the top of her book with a frown only to find the blond's attention, and disturbingly sunny smile, squarely focused on herself. "Blake."

"Well, Blake, I'm Yang! Ruby's older sister."

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two girls. Sisters? They looked nothing alike. Not that it was any of her concern. She returned to her book leaving the trio in an awkward silence.

"I, uh, like your bow!"

"Thanks."

"It goes great with your"—Yang leaned forward frantically looking over Blake and her meager belongings—"pajamas."

"Right."

Blake was pleased with the fumble. Yang had failed to live up to the cocky wink, which made her feel like she was back in control.

"Nice night, don't you think?"

"Yes," she said, staring into Yang's lilac eyes with as much annoyed disinterest as she could muster, "it's lovely."

Yang and Ruby looked at her expectantly.

"Almost as lovely as this book"—nothing—"that I will continue to read"—still no reaction—"as soon as you leave." she returned her attention to her book, once again.

"Yeah, this isn't working."

Finally.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked.

"Huh?" Blake blurted out surprised by the genuine interest in her tone.

"Your book. What's it about?"

"Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

"Oh, yeah," Yang said with a raised eyebrow, "that's real lovely."

Ruby moved closer putting herself in the foreground. "I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed."

Blake looked at her skeptically.

"Stories of heroes and monsters," Ruby said with dreamy eyes. "They're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

"Why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Blake said with more sarcasm lacing her voice than she had intended to.

"I'm hoping we all will. As a little girl, I wanted to be just like the heroes in the books. Someone who fought for what was right and protected the people who couldn't protect themselves."

Sometime during the conversation, Blake had dropped her guard. The book in her hand had lost its use as a cover and come to rest in her lap. "That's very ambitious for a child. Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"But that's why we're here, isn't it? To make it better."

A nice if naive sentiment that was ruined when Yang jumped Ruby and squeezed the life out of her. "Aw, I'm so proud of my baby sister!"

"Cut it out!"

The display of sisterly affection deteriorated into a rambunctious wrestling match. Blake couldn't believe that she had allowed two childish, squabbling sisters to break down her guard. Two squabbling sisters who were drawing a lot of attention to themselves.

"Well, Ruby, Yang, it was a pleasure to—"

"What in the world is going on over here!"

The sisters stopped in their tracks. Ruby was holding Yang's leg up in the air while Yang's arms were flailing comically in an attempt to keep her balance. Both wore wide smiles on their faces, but Blake felt like anything but smiling given her latest visitor.

Weiss leaned forward with her hands balled into fists. "Don't you realize that some of us are trying to sleep?" Her frilly blue nightgown didn't detract from the air of authority she projected.

The sisters resolved their standoff, leaving Yang free to come face-to-face with Weiss. "Oh, not you again!" they yelled simultaneously.

Ruby was caught between them, looking very uneasy. Not just uneasy. There was a hint of genuine fear in her eyes, which didn't come as much as a surprise given the girl's previous encounters with Weiss, but it seemed to deepen whenever she looked at her own sister.

Blake's eyes returned to the blond, trying to figure out what she had missed. It struck her like lightning. How could she have been so blind? The bubbly blond airhead with her sing-song voice, swaying hips, and stupid smile had been replaced with something entirely more sinister.

Dangerous eyes were glaring at Weiss. Eyes that seemed different, darker somehow than before. Her aggressive stance and skimpy clothes revealed what lay skin-deep under her curves, literally. The long limbs, tight stomach, and broad shoulders were heavily toned. It was a body forged by years of rigorous training, and, judging by the way she held herself, she knew how to use it.

Taking in the full picture, Blake sympathized with Ruby. Yang was ready to pick a real fight with Weiss, right then and there, regardless of the consequences.

"Guys, she's right," Ruby said, mostly reasoning with her sister. "People are trying to sleep."

"Oh, now you're on my side!"

Blake rolled her eyes. Leave it to the spoiled princess to pick a fight even when people are agreeing with her.

"I was always on your side!"

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister anyway? She's only trying to be nice."

"She is a hazard to my health!" Weiss said stomping her foot on the ground.

Much to Blake's relief, and despite Weiss's little tantrum, Yang had visibly relaxed and no longer looked like she was about ready to punch her lights out, but the Schnee heiress's arrival had only made the situation worse. Their bickering was starting to draw the attention of the entire ballroom. Blake had to break them up and get rid of them, fast.

She took her candelabra and blew out the candles. The sudden change in illumination—her cove had gone almost pitch black—drew three pairs of eyes toward her.

"How about we all go to sleep? It's getting late and we should rest up for tomorrow."

Weiss turned and stuck her nose up high. "That's what I've been saying all along!" She walked away without another word.

"We should leave too," Ruby said. "See you tomorrow?"

"Sure," Blake said. "Have a good night."

"You too!" Ruby chirped and looked at Yang.

"You go ahead, I'll be right along."

She seemed confused, but she did as she was told. Yang watched her shuffle away until she was out of earshot and turned her attention back to Blake who, despite her original intentions, found herself curious about what the blond had to add that required privacy.

She was faced with a familiar smirk. "Word of advice," Yang said, dropping her voice enough to prevent anyone else from overhearing, "don't quit your day job."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"I mean it. You make for a lousy spy."

"Is that so?"

"Totally. Short of carrying a glowing sign with 'I'm a spy!' written on it, you couldn't have been more obvious."

Blake looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"For starters, you chose the most obvious corner to hide in." Yang's gaze swept over the room. "Out of sight from the entrance, good field of view of the entire room, and the first place to check if you're looking for someone suspicious."

That came as a surprise to Blake. She hadn't expected Yang to try and pick apart her performance with reasoning.

"And you should have put out a sleeping bag, even if you had no intention of using it. You know, at least try to make it look like don't expect to find a knife in your back the moment you close your eyes."

Blake glowered at Yang. She was starting to hit a bit too close to home for comfort.

"And don't even get me started on your complete failure at blending in. You do realize that you stand out more than anyone else in the room, me included, right? And I'm damn hard to miss," she added with a cocky smile and a shift of her hips.

"I find that hard to believe."

The words had barely left Blake's lips before she realized how they could be interpreted, and the satisfied glint in Yang's eyes made it clear that she hadn't missed it.

"Cute and mysterious doesn't equate inconspicuous."

"Cute?" Blake asked, feeling her cheeks heat up again.

"Oh don't give me that. You know full well that you are very attractive. Add in that robe and that bow on your head"—Yang's eyes roamed over Blake's body, making her feel very self-conscious—"very nice, but try simple pajamas next time."

Blake wasn't sure what had thrown her more, the sleazy look she had gotten or the genuine compliment. Neither helped her make sense of the blond's behavior or that damned wink.

Yang squatted down, bringing them at eye level with each other. Despite what Blake had thought she had seen before, they shone in gentle lilac.

"And candlelight in a dark corner? Great for the mood, not so great when you're trying to blend in." Yang hummed. "You should get one of those clip-on book lights for your covert operations. They probably got them in all shapes and sizes at Spymart."

Blake smiled. There was something oddly endearing about the blond's mixture of sensible suggestions and childish nonsense.

"But the worst offender, by far, are your eyes," Yang said, staring right into them as they grew wide. "They stand out, especially in the dark."

Suddenly it all made sense. From the start, it had all been a ploy to lower her defenses and catch her alone and vulnerable. And Blake had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

"But I suppose there isn't much you can do about them."

Blake hadn't moved—hadn't even taken a breath—since Yang had sprung her trap. How could she have been so stupid? A few sweet words and she had dropped her guard like an amateur.

"Oh!" Yang smacked the bottom of her fist into her palm. "How about some toned glasses? Can't go too dark if you wear them at night though. Just enough to stop your eyes from looking like they glow in the dark."

Blake blinked. Had she not figured it out?

"I just had to leave my aviators in my locker. They would be perfect!" She was tapping her chin with her index finger. "Maybe I should give the whole rocket-propelled lockers thing a try. There's an app for it, and I wanted to see them in action anyway."

"Hold on!" Blake said, ripped from her stupor. "You want to call a rocket-propelled locker from two buildings over through the roof of a room packed full of students in order to find out if your sunglasses make my eyes stand out less in the dark?"

Yang nodded.

"And you lecture me about a lack of subtlety?"

She laughed. "I guess that would be a bit much, but don't you want to see the rocket-propelled part of the RPLs in action? I've been itching to send one off ever since the guide handed me my code."

Blake stared at the blond. One moment she had her worry about whatever blackmail she would have to endure for years to come, the next she had to keep her from getting into trouble for abusing school property and blowing holes through roofs. Troublemaker was an understatement.

"Anyway," Yang pushed herself to her feet, "I told Ruby I wouldn't be long."

Blake nodded still wary of her intentions.

"It's just, look, if you're that worried about something happening, you could always bunk with us. Strength in numbers and all that," she said with a shrug. "I promise I won't prank you in your sleep unless you are a spoiled rich princess. And I'm sure Ruby would be happy about it too."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "She would?"

"Yeah. She doesn't have any friends around, and you both like books, right?"

Blake nodded.

"Well, when it comes to books, I sorta lost interest by the time Ruby stopped asking for bedtime stories—which was a lot later than you'd think," Yang added, shaking her head. "I'm of no use beyond fairy tales and children's stories, but you seemed to enjoy yourself earlier so I thought, you know…"

"I'll think about it."

She wouldn't move from her spot that night, but she would be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in having someone to share her favorite hobby with. And the opportunity to keep a closer eye on someone who may or may not have gleaned far more about her than she should have.

Yang hummed and turned to walk away with a hint of disappointment shining through, but she didn't push the issue. After a couple of steps, she looked over her shoulder. "Good luck tomorrow, and try to have some fun. You've been working far too hard at being serious all evening."

Blake watched Yang as she walked back to the camp she was sharing with her sister. She dropped down on top of her sleeping bag and rolled onto her back without slipping in. The two of them talked for a while, but they were too quiet to listen in.

The tale of a man with two souls lay forgotten in her lap as Blake continued to study the curious and confusing ball of golden hair that had turned her evening upside down.

The sisters had caught her attention—for better or for worse—and she had a feeling that neither of them was anywhere near average.

Ruby was clearly too young to attend Beacon by regular means. She must have been given some sort of special dispensation, which would imply considerable talent.

And Yang? Below that bubbly facade lay something that beckoned to be uncovered. It wasn't just the raw power or the curiosity of her eyes but that she had been the only person in the room who had shown even the slightest indication that she had figured out what Blake had been up to. And no matter Yang's claims to the contrary, she was an expert at her craft. The very fact that she had survived for as long as she had was proof enough of that.

No, it wasn't any lack of skill on Blake's side that had tipped off Yang, even though she clearly hadn't been at her best that day. The blond had experience beyond basic combat training or, at the very least, great intuition. To Blake, both were worth more than good grades or some fancy weapon.

She leaned back with a sigh. Her life at Beacon was bound to be a lot more interesting than she had hoped for…

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Finally, a chapter I'm genuinely fond of. The obvious reason would be that it is Blake and Yang's first meeting (face-to-face at least), which has always been one of my favorite moments in the story (although, the canon version was a bit lackluster in many regards), but also because of how the two scenes in the chapter mirrored each other.

I like seeing the differences and similarities in how Blake and Yang experience certain events, and their situation as a whole, and having these mirroring, overlapping scenes is just a very nice tool to experiment with when it comes to that sort of thing. As much as I love writing in a character-focused point of view, at times it is hard to resist the urge to tell a story from multiple sides, and I'm likely to bring that setup back in the future. Sparingly, of course, as it is a bit redundant. Still, I actually didn't do it on purpose here, but I do think that it turned out rather well.

Funnily enough, it is not the only thing that was _not_ done on purpose in this chapter. There is one major change to my basic outline for this whole series that sneaked in and completely escaped my notice until several more chapters down the line.

My original plans had Yang being the first to show romantic intentions and signs of attraction toward Blake, while Blake was supposed to be the more stoic, unreadable, and maybe even a bit oblivious one of the pair. And even then, it wasn't supposed to happen until after their initiation. Instead, Blake ended up being the one crushing hard pretty much from day one, which I have since come to consider my preferred way of handling a Bumblebee romance, but I'm still a bit baffled by the fact that it just happened without my even noticing or having had any intention of doing so…

Anyway, that just as a slightly spoiler-y aside, let's talk about the revision (as of June 2018):

One of the notable changes introduced, once again, harkens back to the relationship between Yang and Glynda. Yang's opening monologue was changed to give a bit of a stronger hint toward why exactly she had blown off Ruby for the weekend and brings in the theme of parents, mothers specifically, which crops up again in the context of Glynda. Think of that what you will. (Just to clarify: no, I have _not_ changed Yang's parentage, although, I have to admit, that would have been an interesting twist.)

Another change I consider worth mentioning is when Yang almost gives up on Blake. Much like Yang being completely oblivious of who Glynda was on the airship, this was one of the lines I'd come to regret leaving in the script from the moment I had first uploaded it.

I didn't like how fast Yang gave up on Blake in canon, and it made even less sense with my extended focus of Yang's on Blake. I mean, she starts out interested in Blake because she is the mysterious stranger that saved Ruby from Weiss, because of Blake's curious behavior in the ballroom, and out of a certain physical attraction which is hard to deny given how "flowery" Yang's point of view ended up describing Blake's eyes and the moment she first caught sight of them.

Given all that, it just felt incredibly out of place to have Yang just up and ready to give up and leave after a minor blunder in first contact or two. Not to mention that Yang's lack of commitment at that point seriously interfered with the believability of Blake's reasoning about certain things later on during the initiation. It also didn't feel very Yang. As I see her, she's not the type of person to just give up on something she's interested in without putting in some serious effort.

But, as with Yang's initial reaction to Glynda on the airship, I didn't want to change things too much, which is why I opted to tone Yang's line down to merely remarking on things not going too well and cutting any further musings on the issue off by having Ruby jump to the rescue. I still would have liked to have done more with it, but as it stands, it dealt with most of my concerns about that specific line.

And lastly, one thing that is new in the revision is Yang's urge to prank Weiss in her sleep in retaliation for being a bit of an asshole (which early Weiss is rather good at). It was an unplanned, and, unfortunately, not followed up on addition (who knows what the future will hold though), that just felt like it fit Yang's personality too well not to put it anyway.

And, as a bonus, Yang's guarantee not to prank anyone who is not a rich princess when inviting Blake to move camp has a somewhat interesting connotation given what we have come to know about Blake's background. But, of course, Yang is not yet aware of that.

Now, as always, please let me know what you think, and feel free to drop by on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites) for news and further information on this and other stories in the works.

That is all.


	5. The First Step

**The First Step**

Blake suppressed a yawn as she watched a group of people leaving the locker room bright and early in the morning. An hour had gone by since the first students had passed through, and so far, her stakeout had been a disheartening experience.

The theory had been sound—get up early, grab a quick breakfast, and figure out as much as possible about people by watching them as they prepare for a potentially life-threatening mission—but success had been limited. The most outstanding insight she had been able to glean had been how unremarkable her classmates-to-be, by and large, had turned out to be. The last twenty-four hours had left her under the impression that Beacon would be full of eccentric characters severely lacking in common sense. Having taken a closer look though, she had found most of them to be surprisingly ordinary people, or at least as ordinary as any volunteer in the fight against the grimm could be expected to be.

Ordinary was good though. It was perfect. What better way to blend in and go unnoticed than on a team that wouldn't stand out from the crowd?

The words rang hollow in her head, and she had to admit to herself that she had wasted her time. The stakeout had occupied her mind and kept her anxiety at bay, but it had done little good beyond that.

Blake had almost finished piecing together Gambol Shroud, which she had dismantled and cleaned to provide herself with a cover story, when two of the more colorful characters among her classmates entered the room. One was a dark-haired boy wearing a green tunic reminiscent of the traditional fashion of Mistral, the other an orange-haired girl in a pink mini dress covered in heart motives.

"Right. What was I thinking?" the girl mumbled through the pancake that was dangling from her mouth.

Whatever their conversation had been about before they had entered was lost on Blake.

"But still, I hope we end up on the same team together." She slurped up the pancake and swallowed it in one big gulp. "Oh! We should come up with some sort of a plan to make sure."

The boy opened his locker and took out two pistols.

"What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He owns, like, the whole school." She held her chin lost in thought. "I know! We'll have a signal, like a distress call, so we can find each other in the forest." She poked the boy's cheek. "Can you imitate a sloth?"

"Nora," he said in a flat tone, making her stand to attention.

"Yes, Ren?"

He held up his pistols, which disappeared in his sleeves. "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

"That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together."

Ren closed his locker. "Come on Nora, let's go."

"But not 'together' together," she said with a giggle as she followed him outside.

Blake could feel a headache coming. While dealing with quiet and focused wouldn't be an issue for her, she had the suspicion that prolonged exposure to Nora would be more likely to end in murder charges than a huntsman's license.

Just as she was about to return her attention to her weapon, Blake spotted another pair of headaches entering the locker room. Ruby was back in what Blake was coming to consider her signature red cape and Yang, well, she was difficult to miss, to say the least.

Between the skimpy suede skirt and jacket combo and the highlights in bright yellow and orange peeking out to complement it, Yang was hardly dressed appropriately for any kind of serious field work, but Blake couldn't find it in herself to fault her for it.

And it was definitely not because she had caught herself staring or anything!

As the sister's reached their destination and Ruby started keying her locker code into the electronic lock, Blake noticed the yellow-tinted aviator glasses dangling from Yang's cleavage. Her brows furrowed. Unless she had been lying the night before, Yang must have been to her locker already, but there were no immediately obvious signs of a weapon to be found.

Feeling vindicated in staring by her original mission statement for the morning, Blake took a closer look from a more professional perspective. After the change in body language she had noticed the night before, it had become surprisingly easy to spot the telltale signs of heavy-duty physical conditioning on the blond even while she was casually leaning against a locker. Add in the trained ease with which she had slipped into an unarmed fighting stance at the drop of a hat and it didn't take much of leap to guess her specialization.

"Wonder what they were so worked up about."

"Oh, who knows." Yang brushed Ruby off, showing no interest in Ren or Nora. "So, you seem awfully chipper this morning."

"Yep! No more awkward small talk or getting-to-know-you stuff." Ruby took a large lump of red-and-black metal out of her locker and cradled it in her arms like a baby. "Today I get to let my sweetheart do the talking."

"Just remember that you're not the only one going through initiation," Yang said, sounding surprisingly mature and serious. "If you want to grow up, you're going to have to meet new people and learn how to work together."

Ruby groaned. "You sound like Dad!" She put her weapon back into her locker and faced her sister. "Okay, first of all, what does meeting new people have to do with fighting?"

Blake could sympathize. If she could, she would avoid anyone but the faculty until graduation.

"And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up." Ruby stood tall with her arms crossed. "I drink milk!"

Blake's eye twitched as she fought the urge to smack her forehead. There seemed to be an unwritten law with the sisters about following up every sensible comment with something childish and unreasonable.

"Right, but what about when we form teams?"

Ruby averted her eyes. "I don't know, I'll just be on your team or something."

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?"

If her wavering voice wasn't enough of a giveaway to Yang's conflicted feelings, seeing her hug her wild golden mane like a security blanket was. A caring older sibling pushing the younger sibling out of the nest for their own good no matter the pain it would cause to themselves. Blake had come across the idea many times in books, but it had always sounded like nothing but an idealized fantasy to her.

Ruby, however, didn't seem to appreciate the notion. "My dearest sister Yang," she said in a sweet tone that grew more sinister with every word, "are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"

"What?" Yang stammered. "Of course, I do. I just thought, I don't know, maybe it would help you break out of your shell."

"What the—?" Ruby shrieked and stormed off. "I don't need to break out of my shell! That's absolutely ridiculous!"

Yang rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. Ruby's locker was standing wide open, still holding the weapon she had stuffed back inside before confronting her sister. Shaking her head, Yang picked it up and turned to follow Ruby, but not without rolling her eyes in Blake's direction and giving her a quick shrug on the way out.

Blake watched her leave in confusion. Yang hadn't acknowledged her presence even once since she had entered the locker room, so what was that look about? Was she trying to tell her that she had caught her listening? Was it a comment on her conversation with Ruby? Or was it a dig against her?

Blake sighed. She couldn't tell what to make of the blond's attentions. Just about their entire class had passed through the locker room, and nobody had paid her more than a cursory glance. Nobody but Yang, again. And every time those lilac eyes focused on her she felt a strange tingle run down her spine.

Luckily, not everyone passing through left her that confused. A couple of rows down from Ruby's locker stood two girls: one dressed almost entirely in white, the other in red and bronze. Both of them were to be avoided albeit for very different reasons.

Weiss's family connection alone was enough to give her a wide berth. Her questionable personality only added to Blake's apprehension.

As for Pyrrha Nikos, she was the only one of the first-year students that had shown up in Blake's research on Beacon. On paper, she was an almost perfect choice for a teammate: smart, polite, serious, humble, and considered to be one of the most talented fighters of their generation. She had also become a minor celebrity, which was enough of a red flag to outweigh any of the arguments in her favor even though she did strike an impressive enough figure to give Yang a run for her money.

"So, Pyrrha," Weiss asked more timidly than anything Blake had seen of the young heiress before, "have you given any thought as to whose team you would like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong and well-known individual such as yourself."

Pyrrha hummed. "I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

"I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together."

"Well, that sounds grand," Pyrrha said, lacking in enthusiasm.

"Great!"

The stilted conversation was interrupted by an unimpressive blond that had approached Pyrrha and Weiss from behind. "You know what else is great?" he asked. "Me, Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you."

It was a cringe-worthy display that lived up to the worst romance novels Blake had ever read, and she loved every second of it.

"You again?" Weiss asked, sounding ready to bite his head off, but before she could make good on her implied threat, Pyrrha jumped in between them.

"Nice to meet you, Jaune," she said with an eager smile on her face only to be pushed aside without so much as a second glance.

"Yeah, yeah. So, Weiss"—he flexed his biceps—"couldn't help but overhear your fondness for me the other day."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed." He crossed his arms nonchalantly. "So, been hearing rumors about teams. I was thinking you and me would make a good one. What do you say?"

Weiss turned her back on him, and Blake could have sworn she had seen a small shudder run through her.

"Actually," Pyrrha said, "I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so—"

"You don't say," he cut her off before throwing his ladies-man routine at her, "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."

Weiss pushed them apart and shoved him back a couple of steps. "Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Not the slightest, snow angel."

A jolt of electricity ran through Blake. She had struck trash-romance gold and felt the overwhelming urge to take notes.

"This is Pyrrha," Weiss said.

"Hello again!"

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum."

Jaune shrugged. "Never heard of it."

A Beacon student who had never heard of one of the top primary combat schools in the world?

Weiss scoffed. "She has won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row—a new record!"

"The what?"

"She's on the front of every _Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes_ box!"

Jaune gasped. "That's you? They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Pyrrha said bashfully. "Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

"So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?"

"I guess not. Sorry."

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder. "Actually, Jaune, I think you would make a great leader."

Wait, what?

"D'oh, stop it!" Jaune cooed.

"Seriously," Weiss said, "this kind of behavior should not be encouraged!"

Blake, for once, had to agree with her. He was out of his depth as it was, and Pyrrha wasn't doing him any favors.

"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for team Jaune." He turned his chin up smugly. "Spots are filling up!"

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"Now I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings. Find a place for you." He leaned in close. "What do you say?"

"Alright, that's a bit too close!" Weiss said as she took a step back. "Pyrrha, a little help, please?"

Without warning, Pyrrha's spear nailed Jaune to the wall by his collar. Her soft apology was interrupted by the PA-system springing to life in professor Goodwitch's voice. _"All first-year students report to Beacon Cliff for their initiation. Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."_

"It was nice meeting you," Pyrrha said before she retrieved her spear and followed Weiss to the exit.

The sudden lack of support made Jaune slide down to the ground. "Likewise…"

While Blake busied herself cleaning up her corner of the locker room, Jaune remained slumped against the wall mumbling to himself.

"I don't understand. My dad said that all women look for is confidence…"

Blake shook her head and fastened Gambol shroud to her back. Snow angel wasn't the best start. Trying to hit on the wrong girl hadn't helped either.

"You're going to be late," she said as she passed Jaune on her way out, but she didn't stick around to see if it had made a difference.

She had her own problems to deal with. Initiation was here, and she had come no closer to figuring out whom she should team up with. All she had found were a lot of meh's, some absolutely not's, and some serious doubts about her better judgment…

* * *

Yang's gaze swept over the rolling green hills reaching from horizon to horizon in front of her. It wasn't the first time that she had seen the Emerald Forest, but looking down at it from Beacon's cliff side gave her a new perspective on its massive scale. Like in most corners of Remnant, the ratio between civilization and untamed wilderness, even just a stone's throw away from one of the biggest cities in the world, was severely skewed toward the latter, which suited Yang just fine. Sure, she was a city girl at heart, but that didn't change the fact that the world beyond the walls of civilization had become a giant playground to her over the years.

A giant and incredibly dangerous playground that wasn't the kind of place most people would bring their younger siblings to.

She took a peek at Ruby who had taken her place on the stone square next to hers. Her little sister seemed to be back to the happy bundle of energy Yang was used to, which went a long way toward alleviating her worries. Ruby wasn't exactly a stranger to the outside world either, but she had mostly been exposed to their home island of Patch, which was considered to be far less prone to grimm activity than the land that lay before them.

Either way, making sure that Ruby had her head in the game for what was about to come had been an absolute necessity, and it had cost her dearly. Not only had she had to promise not to deliberately avoid her—which could seriously interfere with Yang's plans on improving her sister's social life—but she had to sign over a couple of Yang coupons on top of it. Well, the coupons weren't so bad, really. One was for a delivery of cookies and milk at any time of day or night, no questions asked, the other for a bedtime story.

Thinking about it, the whole exchange had been a nice throwback to their childhood days. Yang had to hand out many a coupon over the years trying to buy her way back into her little sister's good graces, and the procurement of cookies and bedtime stories had always been a fixture of her job description as Ruby's older sister.

Besides, trying to push Ruby into joining another team might have been premature anyway. All Yang had wanted to do was to help her little sister stand on her own two feet and make some friends. Even if they were to end up on the same team, there would still be two more people around to help with that.

It would all work out one way or another. Right now all that mattered was that Ruby was focused on the task at hand and quite eager to get things going. A feeling that was entirely mutual. There had been enough waiting around and listening to speeches. It was time for them to get their hands dirty and have some fun! Unfortunately, a couple of stragglers were still missing, as was apparent by the absence of a certain pair of amber eyes.

Yang was starting to get worried about Blake. She hadn't taken her behavior the night before all too seriously, but the girl had kept up her act in morning. She had stayed glued to her corner of the locker room despite having already been ready to move out by the time Ruby and Yang had gotten there, and she had just been watching people again without showing any hint of wanting to go anywhere near them.

She couldn't have changed her mind and ran away, could she? Yang wanted to kick herself for setting off Ruby at the worst possible moment. If she hadn't angered her little sister, she could have focused on Blake instead.

"Hey."

Jaune's arrival brought her back from her quickly derailing thoughts, but she chose to ignore him as he picked the open spot right next to Ruby, who greeted him happily in return.

He looked miserable and nervous. Must have realized that he was out of his league. Now, if he would only drop out before he could get himself killed or, worse, put Ruby in danger, Yang would feel a lot better about him.

Professor Goodwitch, who had been standing next to the headmaster in front of the waiting students, finally looked up from her tablet. "We're ready, sir."

The headmaster's gaze wandered up and down the lineup of students before taking a slurp from his cup of coffee. He wore the same stuffy suit he had the day before, which seemed to be about half a century out of style. It almost managed to make him look a cliché school headmaster if it hadn't been for his unkempt hair or the button-sized shades riding low on his nose. The bored look in his eyes and the out of place coffee cup didn't help instill confidence in him either. If anything, they made Yang wonder how much of his job description was handled by his assistant instead.

He cleared his throat, silencing the last few hushed whispers among the students. "For years now, you have trained to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Professor Goodwitch took over. "Many of you have heard rumors about how teams will be assigned. Allow us to put an end to your speculations. Today, you will be split into pairs. Your partner will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. Furthermore, based on your initiation, you will be grouped into teams of four which will be presented tomorrow."

"It would be in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well together," the headmaster continued. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Yang frowned. They hadn't been given the time or the chance to get to know their classmates. Now, they couldn't even look at each other without ending up chained together? They might as well just roll the dice or pick numbers and save themselves the trouble.

Then again…

Yang smirked as she found two amber orbs trained on herself. She raised an eyebrow and Blake smirked back. It might not be such a bad plan after all.

"After you've partnered up, make your way toward the northern edge of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way and are advised not to hesitate. Destroy everything in your path or you will die."

Jaune's nervous chuckle made Yang shake her head, but it was Ruby's state that caught her attention. She looked like a broken puppet. Her eyes were half closed and lifeless, her arms were hanging down dejectedly, and her entire body was swaying in place ready to fall over at the smallest breeze.

So much for making sure that she had her head in the game.

Yang put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and tried to encourage her with a smile. The small gesture brought her back to the world of the living, but her worries were still written all over her face, leaving little doubt on Yang's mind that her little sister would head straight for her, trying to partner up. While there was some comfort in having Ruby within arm's reach out there in the wild, becoming her partner was a far stronger commitment than becoming teammates. It would only encourage her to cling to her skirt.

What other choice did she have though? Jaune was a bad idea no matter how she looked at it. So was Weiss. Which only left one more person Ruby knew and might be willing to partner up with. Yang sighed. The question wasn't just if avoiding Ruby was the right thing to do anymore, but if she could justify competing with her baby sister over Blake…

"You will be monitored for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene."

Do or die. Yang put on her aviators. That, she could handle.

"You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff before the end of the day. We will regard that item as well as your performance and grade you accordingly." The headmaster took another sip of coffee. "Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, uh, sir?" Jaune raised a hand only to be ignored.

"Good. Take your positions."

The students got ready, and a quick glance at Ruby told Yang that she might have worried over nothing. Her little sister had her game face back on. She would be fine whatever the outcome, and there was nothing wrong with a little bit of competition between siblings.

Yang slid her glasses down to the tip of her nose and took one last glance at Blake. Their eyes met again, and Yang couldn't help herself. She gave the raven-haired girl another seductive wink before pushing her glasses back into place. This time, Blake hadn't shied away. She had rolled her eyes but the smile on her lips had never left. That was more like it.

"Uh, sir? I've got a question."

The headmaster finally acknowledged Jaune with a nod.

"So, this landing strategy thing, what would that be exactly?" he asked with a shaking voice. "You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No, you will be falling."

"Oh, I see. So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh-huh, yeah…"

Professor Goodwitch raised her tablet. Her finger was hovering over the screen, ready to send the students off. Anticipation was mounting, and Jaune was standing between Yang and an exhilarating fall. If he kept it up, his health would be in serious danger before he even left the cliff.

"So, uh, what exactly is a landing strateg—" his question turned into a high-pitched scream as the platforms to their feet launched them into the air.

Yang could feel her golden mane flaring out behind her as she soared toward the sky. There would be no more boring speeches or stupid questions. Beacon, the initiation, her classmates; none of them mattered anymore. All that remained was the rush of adrenaline.

Yang Xiao Long had arrived in her domain!

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And with that, _Part One: Arrivals_ has come to an end.

This chapter, I'm afraid, was a particularly bad one in the original draft. The locker room scene in canon is a bit of a disjointed mess to begin with, and the transition to the written word in combination with trying to keep every detail of it in place was just flat-out terrible.

To make things even worse, I had yet to come to grips with how to do character descriptions within a story, with how much detail really needs to be put into them, and with how to organically weave them into the script. (Honestly, I'm still not very good at it, but at least I'm being more concise…) My personal notes used to dub this scene the "Locker Room Fashion Show" as it went as far as to describe Yang's outfit down to the socks she was wearing, which was just ridiculous.

So most of the work done in the revision (as of June 2018) was focused on improving the flow of the script. Blake as the point of view was highlighted with some more on-topic internal monologue and by toning down how far the camera was allowed to stray from her. The original draft was almost omniscient in the way that with every new set of characters entering the locker room, they became the sole focus, and Blake was virtually forgotten until they left again, which, of course, defeated the purpose of presenting the entire locker room bit as one continuous scene from her point of view in the first place.

The dialogue also saw some major revisions and departures from the show's script to make it flow more naturally. I did cut out a good deal of Ren and Nora's sub-scene, mostly because it was too long. It overstayed its welcome, and, frankly, I don't like working with Ren and Nora all that much. I have some serious trouble capturing those two characters properly, and out of the two big teams in the show, they are by far the least important pair, so whenever I have to prune the sprawling tree of subplots, they are my prime candidates for the cut. (Sorry to all the Ren and Nora fans out there, I'm probably not the author for you.)

One thing I really did want to change but couldn't figure out how to without losing the symmetry to the events during initiation was Pyrrha's treatment of Jaune, specifically how Weiss's request for help leads to a rather immediate and violent reaction. It works well from the comedy side and all, but it feels very out of character for Pyrrha, whom I'd consider to prefer peaceful and diplomatic methods if possible.

Much like the locker room scene, the scene on the cliff mostly saw improvements in terms of flow and all those pesky technical details that I really wasn't very good at back in the day. The one addition in content I can think of is a bit of world building in Yang's opening monologue when she talks about the ratio between civilization and wilderness and what she thinks about that. Everything else, I believe, is the pretty much same, but somewhat more competently written.

All in all, the first part of this story still feels like it could use a lot of work, but there comes a point when one has to step back and call it a day or the cycle of revisions will never end. The intention was never to create a full rewrite that fixes all the mistakes I made when I started working on this project, but to polish what is there to be more in line with how my writing has evolved over the years. I still find mistakes left and right every time I read through the script, but at least looking at it doesn't make me feel ashamed of myself anymore. (Of course, that might change again a couple of months down the line…)

Now, as always, please let me know what you think, and feel free to drop by on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites) for news and further information on this and other stories in the works.

That is all.


	6. Partners (Part Two: Initiation)

**Revision Warning**

The chapters up to this point have seen a major revision (as of June 2018), whereas the chapters from here on out are currently being worked on and are still present in their original state.

While the content of the revised chapters will largely be identical, the drop in quality of writing is very much noticeable. It is therefore recommended to wait for the revised version before continuing on.

An update notification should, hopefully, be triggered via some dummy chapter gymnastics once the next batch of revisions is ready. In the meantime, information on the state of the revision of the story as a whole can be found on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites).

* * *

 **Partners**

The wind was rushing past Blake's face as she soared through the sky. Any other day, she might have reveled in the feeling of freedom it instilled in her, but, with the headmaster's scheme looming over her, she barely took notice. She was about to be bound to the first person she would make eye contact with. Choice and strategy had gone out of the window to be replaced by the luck of the draw. If only the pool contained a few more winning tickets.

Wishful thinking wasn't going to change anything, though. She had to play the hand she had been dealt, which wasn't quite as bad as it had appeared at first. It took two people to make eye contact, and, no matter what Yang might think, she had confidence in her ability to fade from sight. Avoiding the wrong partner wouldn't be a problem. Finding the right partner in time was a different matter, entirely.

Blake turned around mid-flight to assess her situation. She should have known better than to hope for an easy way out of her dilemma. The students had been spread out over a large area. Some had barely gotten more than a push off the cliff while others, like herself, had been thrown far out into the Emerald Forest.

A bright-red piece of cloth fluttering in the wind caught her eye. Ruby was one of the unlucky ones already about to dive into the sea of green covering the ground. She had been thrown short and was stuck at the other end of the field.

Blake should be disappointed or worried about it. Ruby was clearly the sane and sensible choice. She was dedicated, if a bit naive, and they shared a common interest. Her younger age might also play in Blake's favor. She should go after Ruby.

A pair of cocky lilac eyes flashed in front of her mind's eye.

It was a bad idea. No matter what temporary hold the blond might have over her, no matter what interest Blake's twisted mind might have in her, she would only make her life more complicated and dangerous. She should not go after Yang.

Good luck tomorrow, and try to have some fun…

The blond's words from the night before echoed through her mind as the canopy was coming dangerously close.

She groaned and started to scan the flock of students, but there was no sign of Yang. Time was running out. One last glance was all she could afford, but Yang was nowhere to be found. She could all but smell the leaves below her. One more—

A branch caught Blake's leg and sent her into a tumble as she broke through the canopy. It was too late for any plans or strategies. Her reflexes were all that stood between her and an untimely end on the forest floor.

She drew _Gambol Shroud_ , turning it into its sickle form the moment the blade had cleared the heavy sheath on her back, and flung it with a prayer towards the biggest blotch of brown she could make out in the swirl of colors flashing in front of her eyes.

It caught on to something. Blake's arm was almost yanked from its socket as the ribbon attached to weapon's handle came to tension and sent her swinging through the forest.

The ground was closing in, fast. The ribbon was too long.

She swung her legs forward and drew herself up as high as she could in hopes of avoiding a crippling or fatal crash. Her heels connected with the ground, sending bits of dirt and moss in all directions before she was flung back into the air.

Blake detached the sickle from the branch with a flick of her wrist and sent it back towards herself. The moment it touched her palm, she activated her semblance and threw herself against her momentum.

Her speed dropped considerably.

She spotted a sturdy branch not far from where she was headed. Another use of her semblance later she landed on it with all the grace of a professional gymnast.

Blake took a couple of deep breaths before she cursed herself. The blond wasn't even her partner yet, and she had already almost killed herself because of her! And all for nothing. Ruby was on the other end of the field, virtually unreachable, and she had no idea where Yang had ended up.

Things couldn't have gone much worse…

* * *

Ruby had hardly had any time to enjoy her flight. The stupid platform had barely pushed her over the edge while Yang had disappeared into the sky.

She drew _Crescent Rose_ from her back and let it unfold in front of her. The recoil of several rounds fired from her large-caliber rifle slowed her down before she broke through the canopy.

She snagged a large branch with the scythe's head hoping to use it to break her fall. After two rotations around the branch, it was cut clean in half by the razor-sharp blades.

Dirt and grass were whirled up as Ruby landed with a heavy thud. Not her best landing ever, but, aside from a bit of dirt on her clothes, she had made it through without a hitch.

There was no time to waste, though. Ruby darted off tapping her semblance for some extra speed. Her mind was consumed by a single thought repeated like a mantra: gotta find Yang!

* * *

A beautiful white snowflake formed out of thin air. It shifted to meet a pair of expensive white boots at the perfect angle to lighten the impact. Its duty not yet fulfilled, it moved in unison with its mistress, providing a springboard towards its brethren.

Two glyphs later, Weiss landed in perfect form, not a hair out of place. Even being flung from a cliff into the wilderness could not deter her from displaying the grace and elegance expected of an heiress to the Schnee family name.

She brushed off her sleeves and made sure that her light jacket sat perfectly before she took account of her surroundings.

They were very… green. Large trees, bushes, grass. Weiss prided herself on many things. Being an outdoors person was not one of them. She was not prepared for this.

Going on a nature hike was not the start to her time at an elite hunter academy she had expected. Neither was spending her nights in a drafty room sleeping in the school's ratty old sleeping bags.

They should have handed out brochures telling people what to expect, or, at the very least, they should have told her to bring her own sleeping bag.

Far worse than her accommodations was the company she had been forced to keep. The little girl and her brute of a sister seemed to be ubiquitous and hell-bent on making her life more difficult. Then, there was that scraggly blond loser who had gotten it into his head that he had a chance with her. He had even interfered with her attempt to convince Pyrrha to join her team.

In the end, the biggest hurdle Weiss had to face was the headmaster himself. Partners by eye contact. Insanity, but there was nothing she could do to change the situation she had been thrust into. Weiss had to find Pyrrha before anyone else could. If only she knew how to go about it. She had no idea where Pyrrha had ended up or how to find her way around a forest.

Ruins to the north. That was a start. Everybody had to go there eventually. And north was… judging by the position of the sun… and the time of the day… and the mossy side of the trees… just about—

* * *

Yang loved to fly. She loved the feeling of speed as the wind rushed past her. She loved the freedom that came with soaring through the sky uninhibited by the need to stand on solid ground. She loved the feeling of complete weightlessness as she reached the apex of her trajectory. She loved the sense of dread and excitement that accompanied her free fall as the ground hurtled towards her at a speed that should spell certain death on impact.

In short, if the way the headmaster had kicked off their initiation was anything to go by, it was bound to be a great day.

Yang had lucked out with her choice of platform. She had seen Ruby and a couple of others gently pushed over the edge while she had been flung up high into the sky. Higher than anyone else. She could only imagine what those fun little deathtraps could do if she pushed them beyond the safety limits, which she was going to do the moment she got her hands on the controls.

Unfortunately, the experience was short-lived, even for her. Far too soon, the ground started to close in, and the trees turned back from a hazy green blur into distinct entities.

It was time to consider her options. She could always let gravity do the work for her, but she didn't like the idea of feeling sore for days if she could avoid it.

There had to be a better way. She closed her eyes and pondered her situation for a moment before inspiration struck: There was no need to land if she just kept flying!

* * *

Ruby was running through the Emerald Forest in what most people would consider a dead sprint. Thanks to her semblance, it was the equivalent of a light jog.

"Yang!"

Ruby knew that Yang had been trying to push her away in order to stand on her own two feet. What a silly idea. She could perfectly well do that and be with her sister at the same time.

"Yaaaang!"

She hadn't missed, that someone else had caught Yang's eye, but she wasn't just going to give up her sister to anyone without a fight. The rules were clear and the game was still on. Nobody could complain if she found her first.

After all, what alternatives were there? A partner she could work well with. Yang was a perfect fit. They had grown up together, they knew each others strengths and weaknesses, and their styles mashed. Strength and speed; an almost unbeatable combination.

No one else at Beacon came even close to her sister. Even if they did, how would she know? They had only just arrived a day before and she hadn't had the chance to get to know anyone yet.

Well, aside from Jaune. He was nice and funny but also kind of clumsy and insecure. He probably wouldn't be any good in a fight.

There was Blake. So mysterious, so calm. Plus, she liked books. But, she might not be able to hold a conversation with her about anything besides books.

There wasn't anyone else, was there? She had run into a couple of people, but she hadn't managed to strike up a single conversation that hadn't ended with her being insulted or looked down upon.

No, there was Yang, Jaune, Blake, and—

* * *

Blake was caught in a quandary. In theory, she was in a great position at the head of the pack. By the time the stampede of inexperienced students would be making its way through the forest—drawing out every grimm for miles—she would be long gone.

Reach temple, find partner, pick relic, return. The order of point one and two didn't matter for the overall success of the mission. Staking out the temple was the most sensible course of action. Certainly more so than canvassing the vast expanse of the Emerald Forest. Everybody had to go there eventually, and whoever got there early should make for an adequate partner. They would be goal-oriented and competent.

It was the right way to approach her mission. So, why was it that Blake couldn't get her feet to move? Why was it that her gaze was fixed backward, not forward?

The answer was as simple as it was confusing. Twenty-four hours ago, she would have chosen the safe-and-sensible route without hesitation. Twenty-four hours ago, she would have let fate decide her future and settled for the adequate. Twenty-four hours ago, she hadn't met Yang yet.

Blake had gone over their conversation and every moment that had passed between them many times. She still couldn't make heads or tails of the attentions she had been getting from the blond, which should worry her. Strangers—especially humans—showing interest had always come at a price. It had never been about herself but about whatever they had wanted from her.

After coming to terms with the idea that Yang either hadn't figured out her secret or, at the very least, was unlikely to use it against her, curiosity won over apprehension, and she found herself caring about the words Yang had left her with.

Blake sighed. Whenever she thought about hurrying towards the temple, she could hear the infuriating blond chide her for playing it safe. She wanted to throw it back into her face. Prove to her that she wasn't just some boring stick in the mud. Prove that she wasn't running scared.

But that was exactly what she had done coming to Beacon. She was running and hiding from her former life, hoping, that becoming a huntress would somehow redeem her.

Blake shook her head and took a deep breath. It was time to stop acting like a child and face reality. She picked a branch towards the north and tapped into her semblance, ready to move on. Taking the high route would stress her aura, but it would keep her out of sight of students and grimm alike.

The sound of a distant explosion stopped her in her tracks. It was unmistakable. Someone had discharged a dust weapon. Something big and powerful, like a shotgun or a large-caliber rifle.

Moment's later, the sound repeated, only louder. Whoever it was, was coming her way.

Blake merged into the foliage. The threat of the headmaster's scheme was still looming over her, and she was not relinquishing what little control she had left over her fate.

Another explosion. This time, she could hear a faint voice accompanying it.

Bang!

"Woohoo!"

Blake blinked in disbelieve. It couldn't be…

Bang!

Excited laughter accompanied a yellow flash streaking past over her head.

Bang!

"Ali-oop!"

Bang!

More laughter.

The pattern continued, getting quieter with every iteration.

Blake sat on her branch, her mouth slightly ajar, trying to process what she had just witnessed.

Try to have some fun…

Yang had taken her own advice too far. Her behavior was unprofessional, irresponsible, and selfish. She wasn't just a troublemaker, she was a danger to herself and to anyone around her.

Blake's entire life had been dominated by the needs of the cause, never her own. She had felt content, even happy, about well-executed missions, but it was serious work that needed to be done, not something to be enjoyed.

Yang was different. Her expression was genuine. She lived in the moment, following her own desires, and Blake envied her for it. That made her more dangerous than anything else.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she made a decision, she might come to regret for the rest of her life…

* * *

Yang was completely lost in her excitement. The forest canopy was rushing past her in a green blur as she rolled sideways, backward, or forwards with every boost of speed. _Ember Celica_ was built for its massive recoil, which she used liberally while fighting, but she had never tried to chain it together in order to fly, before.

Unfortunately, the ride wouldn't last. She was too close to the trees to have any chance of reloading without crashing, but that didn't mean that she would stop before she ran out of shells.

The forest had other ideas. She had just turned on her back, enjoying the sensation of flying blind mere feet above the canopy, when one particularly tall tree fished her out of the air. She was sent into a tumble of green and brown swirls as she smashed through the foliage like a cannonball.

After leaving a trail of destruction through several of the pesky tree's neighbors, she emerged in a small clearing.

Her speed had dropped considerably, and she managed to stabilize her wild tumble just in time to avoid smashing, face first, into a massive tree trunk. She pushed herself off of it with her foot and bounced from tree to tree on her way down until she landed in a forward roll with a cocky "Nailed it!"

The adrenaline was still rushing through her system and her heart was racing fast when she came to a halt. One thought dominated her entire being: again!

A few deep breaths later, she had started to come down from her high and took inventory of her surroundings. She had ended up in a moderately large clearing roughly to the north of the cliffs. Aside from that, she was entirely lost. She didn't know how far she had come or if she had drifted off course. For all she knew, she could walk right past the ruins and wander the forest for days without seeing another soul or finding her destination.

That was when it hit her: She had paid no attention, at all, to her classmates.

She smacked herself in the forehead. There she had been at the top of the cliff all cocky and challenging towards Blake in order to catch her eye, only to completely lose track of the girl at the first chance she got.

Some leaves rained from her head as shook it in frustration. She brushed her long, golden mane over her shoulder and sighed. She had turned into a shrubbery. Things were just getting better and better. She picked out the biggest branches stuck in her hair and brushed off the leaves clinging to the outside, but there was no way she was going to get it all out of her wild mane without some serious grooming.

She took a peek back the way she had come. A large hole was cut through the foliage in a straight line. The blue sky was shining through the hole in the otherwise almost opaque forest roof. At least, the tree's were in worse shape than her.

Standing around inspecting the damage she had caused wasn't going to get her anywhere, though. She held _Ember Celica_ up and slid back the heavy, metal plates covering the ammunition feed. There was one unspent shell left in each bracer.

She sighed again. That stupid tree couldn't have let her have just one more burst before bringing her down…

The unloading mechanism activated. The shell casings, which had been safely locked in a ring just above her wrists, exploded outwards in all directions. Yang picked up the two unspent shells and stuffed them in the leather satchel worn on her belt. No point in wasting perfectly good ammunition—by throwing it away, anyways. She pulled out two new ammo belts and locked them into place. The protective sleds moved back with a satisfying double click.

Reloaded and ready for a fight, it was time to figure out where to go. She hadn't noticed anyone else in the air this far out, which made it a safe bet that she had turned into the vanguard of their expedition. She could head backward to look for people, but she had no idea where to start.

Well, no point in worrying about spilt milk. _Ember Celica_ folded back into its bracelet form before Yang put her hands together behind her head and strolled off towards the north. Something interesting was bound to come up sooner or later, and if anyone could find her in this giant, green haystack it was the mysterious spy girl.

* * *

This could not be happening!

A figure clad in red and black had come to a grinding halt right in front of Weiss.

She absolutely would not accept this!

The little interloper, who had hounded her ever since she had set foot on Beacon, was staring at her, frozen in place. Neither of them was willing to move a muscle.

It had to be a bad dream. She would wake up any moment now, wrapped in that flea infested blanket the school had handed out.

The little girl broke their standoff. Her surprised expression turned into an uneasy smile before she tried to take a step towards Weiss.

No! Absolutely not! She was supposed to be with someone that could be considered her equal. Someone like Pyrrha. She would not spend the next four years of her life looking after some useless little brat!

Weiss turned on her heels and walked away.

"Wait! Where are you going? We're supposed to be teammates…"

Not over her dead body! This was all the headmaster's fault, anyways. What kind of mad scheme was choosing your partner by eye contact? He and his staff should have evaluated their applications, their entrance exams, and their _résumés_. They should have made an informed decision, which, undoubtedly, would have lead them to the only possible conclusion: The most suitable partner for Weiss Schnee was Pyrrha Nikos.

At least, the little girl had the good sense not to follow her. They were far away from prying eyes and it was her word against the girl's. She could deny ever having met her and, as soon as she found Pyrrha, all would be fine. Not just Pyrrha, anyone else had to be a better choice than that girl.

The path Weiss had taken lead to a dead end. She was surrounded by bushes and greenery, and her only way out would lead her right back to the last person on Remnant she wanted to see. With little choice left, she pushed through and moved on.

Her attempt of traversing the underbrush turned out far less graceful than her landing. Her skirt and jacket kept getting snagged on branches, and, more than once, she almost stumbled into one of the thorn-covered abominations dotted throughout the area.

She emerged from the underbrush with a sigh of relieve. Green stains and small tears covered her dress and jacket. There was no saving them, but that was to be expected. Her field outfit might have been made from breathable high-tech fabrics and designed to be acceptable daywear in an urban setting, but, in the end, it was nothing but an easily replaced and expendable piece of equipment, no different from dust or ammunition.

"Come on, come on! Stupid…"

Barely audible rambling drew her attention upwards. Weiss froze for the second time that day. She had been wrong. Things could get worse. There, high up in a tree, hung what had to be the only person she was less keen on running into than the little brat: that scraggly nobody with a crush on her.

The moment he spotted her, he smiled, waved, and laughed in embarrassment. It was too much for Weiss. Two people could claim to have run into her before she could find Pyrrha. Two people could claim to be her partner.

She turned on her heels and walked back the way she had come. Plausible deniability was slipping out of her grasp and, if she had to be stuck with one of them, the girl should turn out to be the lesser evil. She was young, malleable, and must have some talent to be allowed into Beacon at her age. It might take time, but Weiss could mold her into something usable.

She heard the boy groan in dejection as she disappeared into the bushes. The little girl—Ruby was it?—was still standing at the very same spot with her head hanging low. Weiss was not sure what to make of her, but she could worry about that later. For now, they had to move.

She had already failed the first half of her mission, and she was not about to perform poorly on the second by dilly-dallying. Walking past Ruby, she grabbed her hood and dragged her along.

"You came back!"

"By no means does this make us friends."

* * *

Jaune was in a pickle. He was in the mother of all pickles. The pickliest mother of all pickly pickles ever pickled.

Maybe comparing his current situation to pickles wasn't the best idea he had ever had. After all, it would have to be one hell of a pickle to come close to being nailed to a tree high up in a forest teaming with nightmarish beasties.

Of course, being nailed to a tree was better than being dead on the ground after having been thrown off a towering cliff by a madman posing as a school headmaster. The only reason he hadn't turned into a bloody smear was the serendipitous appearance of the spear that had caught his collar during his wild tumble through the air.

Thinking about it, the spear had been as likely to run him through as it had been to save him. More so, actually. Where had it even come from?

He stared at it for a moment. There wasn't much of a point in worrying about what could have been, was there? He had gotten lucky and survived the insanity he had been thrown into unharmed, which was more than he could have hoped for.

The whole idea of him coming to Beacon to become a great hunter was turning more and more into a nightmare. It hadn't even been his idea to go there in the first place, but nobody had paid any attention to that little detail just as nobody had bothered to properly prepare him for the experience.

It was only his second day at the school, but it felt like he could have died several times over already.

The airship ride had conspired with his stomach to not only make him sick but put him in harms way of a very attractive and, apparently, somewhat excitable girl that might still send him on an extended hospital stay the next time they met.

It hadn't deterred him, though. He had done as his father had told him to and shown confidence no matter the situation. Great advice that got him rejected by half the girls in his class already. Confidence was not all women were looking for, it seemed. In fact, the only girl he had gotten along with was Ruby with whom he had mostly been himself. He would have to have a word with his father about that.

But it all paled in comparison to the general madness that seemed to affect just about everyone he had met at Beacon.

Ruby was nice, but she was swinging around that monster of a scythe like it was a toy rather than some wicked tool of death and destruction.

There was her sister who, if Ruby was to be believed, balanced beauty with excessive amounts of violence dished out for no good reason.

And then there was the headmaster who gave weird speeches and his assistant who carried a riding crop wherever she went. There wasn't a single horse at Beacon, just herds of students. So, what exactly was that thing for?

The two of them were the ones responsible for the whole getting thrown off a cliff without a parachute thing. And the students had just gone along with it without complaint. Worse, most of them had been excited at the prospect.

He shook his head. There was one ray of hope on the horizon: Weiss. Glorious, beautiful, fair Weiss. His Snow Angel. The girl of his dreams.

And Pyrrha. He still couldn't believe it. The _Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes_ model, a real life celebrity, right there among his classmates. She had seemed nice until she nailed him to a wall with a spear… He took a closer look at the long, pointy stick standing between him and a very unpleasant drop. It looked awfully familiar.

That solved the issue of finding himself a partner. He could just… hang around, until Pyrrha dropped by to reclaim her weapon. She was beautiful and famous. He could do a lot worse for a partner, like a certain violent blond or that hyperactive orange-haired girl.

She was no Weiss, though, and being found stuck in a tree unable to get down wouldn't do much for his reputation. He had his armor, his shield bearing his family's crest, and his knightly sword. What was supposed to happen was obvious to him: The knight in shining armor should save the day and the maiden in the knick of time from the evil dragon.

He looked down on himself. His armor wasn't exactly shining, it could do with a bit of a polish, but his shield was spotless. That should do. After all, legends were always a little bit embellished. By the time, he would tell Jaune Jr. and the little Snowflake about how he and Mommy had met, he would be the perfect picture of a heroic knight.

Should be easy enough. All he had to do was get down from the tree, find Weiss, preferably threatened by something like a lone beowolf—he could deal with a lone beowolf… probably—and save his damsel in distress to earn her eternal gratitude. Easy-peasy.

He grabbed the spear with both hands and tried to pull it out. It didn't budge. He tried waggling it up and down, left and right; nothing worked. The thing was stuck.

He sighed. The first hurdle on his epic journey, and he was failing already.

He tried again with more vigor. "Come on, Come on! Stupid pointy stick!"

Jaune had been so engrossed in his struggle, he had almost missed the white figure that had stepped out of the underbrush close to his tree.

He stared at her for a moment. She stared back. Both of them had frozen in surprise. There was his Snow Angel in the flesh. It wasn't the way the story was supposed to go—it would need a lot of embellishing—but they had achieved eye contact. That sealed the deal.

He waved at her trying his best to make a good impression, but he failed miserably. Weiss turned on her heels and walked back the way she had come. He was about to call out to her when he spotted Ruby on the other side of the bushes.

Weiss was headed straight for her. It dawned on him, that he wasn't the first person she had run into. The woman of his dreams and his only friend were off the market in one fell swoop. Not to mention the demise of his starring role as knight in shining armor.

"You came back!" Ruby said as she was dragged away by Weiss.

No doubt about it, he had lost his chance and he was still stuck in a tree.

"Wait!" He flailed his arms wildly in hopes of drawing their attention. "Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?"

Neither Weiss nor Ruby seemed to notice or care. He sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

"Jaune?" a familiar voice called out to him.

He looked down and found Pyrrha standing next to his tree with her arms crossed. His eyes widened and he quickly averted his gaze with a blush. Her shoulder-less, low-cut armor wasn't designed to be viewed from his angle. Especially, when her arms helped to put everything into place.

"Do you have any spots left on your team?"

He crossed his arms and scoffed at her. "Very funny."

The last thing he needed in his situation was someone to make fun of him, but he quickly realized how silly his reaction was. Pyrrha had saved him from falling to his death, she was one of the nicer people he had met, and she actually wanted to team up with him. If anything, he had gotten lucky.

He looked down, putting a lot of effort into keeping his eyes on her face, and smiled at her. She smiled back with a gentle expression.

Yep, a lucky break for sure.

* * *

Blake wasn't sure why she still allowed anything Yang did to surprise her. It seemed like every time she saw the blond, she would do something more outrageous and stupid than the last.

She had been prepared for a long hunt. Yang's stunt in the air might have been flashy, unprofessional, stupid, and dangerous, but it was fast. If she had moved with similar determination once back on the ground, catching up with her might have proven difficult.

It was her own fault to assume that flying through the air had been about moving forward. It had to have been nothing but a spur of the moment thing the blond had indulged in because it felt like fun at the time. There was no other way Blake could explain what was playing out in front of her.

Yang was strolling through the forest like she was out for a walk in the park. No sense of urgency or recognition of the danger she was in.

"Hello?" she shouted with her hands forming a makeshift megaphone. "Is anyone out there?"

Blake frowned. Unprofessional and stupid didn't even begin to describe it.

"Helloooo?" Yang waited for an answer, but none came. "I'm getting bored here!"

Blake sighed. That was the girl she had been fretting about, the girl she had allowed to get into her head…

"Ruby?"

There was no answer.

"Blake?"

Blake froze. She couldn't tell what the blond saw in her. Sure, she had been in high demand for her skills and her virtually spotless mission record in the past, but Yang knew nothing of either.

They had shared one conversation during which she had been awkward, unfriendly, and confrontational. She had almost managed to push Yang away and rejected her invitation to join them.

Yet there she was, trying again. It made as little sense to Blake as everything else about the blond, but at the same time, it filled her with a warm feeling that overrode the nagging voice of reason that told her to run while she still could.

"Anyone?"

Blake stood up, ready to jump down and leave the safety of the trees behind. She had wasted enough time and, whatever war her emotions were waging her rational mind, her decision had been made the moment she had chosen to follow Yang instead of running the opposite way.

The sound of rustling leaves stopped her in her tracks.

Jump before it's too late!

But Blake didn't move. She watched as Yang made a beeline for the noise.

"Is someone there?"

Yang had almost reached the bushes by the time Blake managed to shake herself out of her stupor. It wasn't another student that was about to take her partner from her, it was a mound of black fur and white spikes. It was too big for a beowolf, and its armor of bone plates and spikes was barely developed. A common ursa by the looks of it.

A second ball of black fur and white spikes lay unmoving a couple of yards further back. They must have been sleeping, which was hard to believe given all the noise the blond had made.

The shrubbery was too high for Yang to peek over. She was walking right into an ambush. Blake should warn her. She should be down there at her side helping her partner to be, but it was too good a test to ignore.

Ursi were dangerous, but they came in small numbers and were easy to deal with for those who knew what they were doing. After all the attitude the blond had shown, she would better be able to back it up. If not…

Blake sighed. She couldn't let her die just to avoid a poor choice of a partner. She would save her in time even if it meant that she would be stuck with some no-good show-off.

Yang had reached the bushes. Without a sense of worry in the world, she stuck her head right into the waiting grimm's face.

"Ruby, is that you?"

A bestial snarl answered her.

"Nope", Yang said with a loud pop and no change in demeanor.

The ursa was less relaxed. It jumped through the opening, swinging a clawed paw at her in a wide arc.

Yang dove out of the way, landing in a roll. The yellow bracelets on her wrists unfolded into heavy bracers covering her forearms.

They had barely extended in full when the second ursa broke through trying to take a piece out of her, but she nimbly flipped back and faced the grimm with a smile on her face.

The first ursa had recovered from its miss and jumped at her with both of its paws ready to tear her to shreds in-between them.

Ursi weren't smart enemies. They usually attacked head on by bringing their mass and brute strength to bear. Yang has had a fair warning, and enough time and room to dodge and counterattack during the grimm's recovery.

That was the sensible way to approach an enemy that size if ambushing it was not an option.

Blake watched in horror as the blond stood her ground right in the death zone. She wound up her right and sent it at the ursa's chest. Razor sharp claws and teeth came within inches of tearing into her when a bone-breaking crunch and a fiery explosion sent the massive beast flying.

The second ursa didn't waste any time. It was charging at her and tried the same angle of attack. Yang moved in low, stopped it dead in the water with a fiery uppercut, and sent it flying with a kick to the stomach.

Ursi might be simple minded, but they were mountains of muscle and bone standing almost twice as tall as the blond. She shouldn't be able to throw them around like rag dolls.

Yang dropped her stance and faced them casually. "You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?"

Blake's chin dropped.

The ursi got back on their feet growling at her.

"How about a cute girl in a bow?" Yang put her hands on her head trying to mimic Blake's bow, but it made her look like she had an extra pair of ears instead.

One of the ursa got up on his hind legs and growled at her with more ferocity than before.

Yang put a fist on her hip and raised a threatening eyebrow. "You could have just said no."

The ursa didn't catch or care about the threat in her voice. It jumped forward and swiped at her again.

Yang took a small hop backward to evade the attack which was followed immediately by a swipe from the other side. The claws came within an inch of disemboweling her as she flipped back.

She landed, her legs wide apart, her fists on her hips, and her head drawn back, laughing.

Blake frowned. Never mind the insane notion of talking to grimm, but the disregard Yang showed for the danger she was in was worrisome.

"Geez, you two couldn't hit the broadside of a ba—"

Blake perked up as Yang's taunt died in her throat. Something had gone wrong. The entire situation had been a disaster waiting to happen and what had she done? She had sat in a tree while the blond got herself killed.

She ran her eyes over Yang's body. There was no blood. No injuries. What had—

Something was floating down towards the ground. Something that had Yang's full attention. Blake could barely make it out from the distance. It looked like… a strand of blond hair?

"You…"

Anger had replaced the playful tone in Yang's voice. Her eyes were closed, her facial expression had become hard, and her entire body had gone rigid. Even the ursi seemed caught by surprise at the sudden shift in tone and missed a perfect chance to strike.

Nothing had prepared Blake for what she saw when Yang opened her eyes again. The gentle lilac was gone. In its place, burning scarlet faced the glowing red orbs of the grimm.

Yang brought her arms up above her head, her hands balled into fists shaking in rage.

"You monsters!"

She exploded in a plume of flame as her arms came down in force. A burning-hot shock wave spread out, singing grass and leaves alike.

Blake came to her senses just in time. She dropped down and slipped behind the trunk of her former host. The shock wave passed her by, but she lost line of sight in the process.

What she could hear, painted a vivid picture. An angry war cry was followed by explosions and the sound of breaking bones and rending flesh. The blond's already insane strength must have increased considerably, if the sound of the impacts was anything to go by.

Blake peeked around the tree only to see one of the ursi tumbling helplessly through the air.

Yang wasn't done. She was leaning forward like a runner at a standing start with her arms held backward. Flames sprung from the soles of her shoes and the tips of her fists as she launched herself at the airborne ursa. A brutal flurry of blows, each punctuated by another explosion, was unleashed and the already defenseless grimm thrown even farther.

There was no doubt that it was finished, but Yang wasn't. She launched herself at her opponent, again, and unleashed another vicious flurry. Her weapon, no, her entire lower arm flared up in golden flames as she threw her final blow.

The ursa was turned into a burning projectile, the size of a car, that cut a swath of destruction through the forest.

Blake stared at the smoldering hole. Massive tree trunks had exploded into splinters, their crowns were coming down to feed the fires left behind, and, somewhere far off at the end, lay a dissolving ursa buried under a pile of crackling firewood.

Yang was strong. Far stronger than she had any right to be, if she was nothing but an overeager combat school graduate. No, it went further than that. The raw and unadulterated power on display was unreal. Blake had never seen anything even close to it, before.

The second ursa came barreling towards Yang who had been inspecting her handiwork. She turned around. Glowing red met burning scarlet and the ursa stopped dead in its tracks.

Blake smirked and drew _Gambol Shroud_. A partner that could stare down a charging ursa was worth a dash of insanity.

* * *

Weiss's dream of dominance over the student body with Pyrrha at her side had gone up in smoke. Even if she could manage to get into a team with Pyrrha, Ruby would always be her partner. She was stuck with her no matter what.

"What's the hurry?" Ruby asked as if it wasn't obvious to anyone with half a brain.

"I will not let my mission be delayed because you are too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your—"

A red blur passed her by.

"What the?"

Ruby appeared out of nowhere with a stupid grin on her face. She looked like a silly puppy, standing on its hind legs, waiting to be praised.

"I'm not slow, see?" Ruby put her hands on her hips and looked at Weiss with a self-satisfied smile. "You don't have to worry about me."

"When did you…?"

Against her better judgment, Weiss was impressed. Ruby had good control over her semblance for someone her age, but her attitude needed work.

"Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people, doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters."

Weiss crossed her arms and eyed her skeptically. Being able to flitter around a battlefield was not enough to make her a good fighter, but, at least, she was honest about her abysmal social skills.

Ruby jumped to Weiss's side and put her arm around her shoulders. "You're about to see a whole different side of me today."

She couldn't believe the little brat's audacity. How dare she touch her so casually.

"After it's all over, you're going to be like, 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really, cool…'" she lowered her voice almost like she had noticed how much of a fool she was making of herself, "'and I wanna be her friend.'"

Weiss rolled her eyes. Friends? She had come to Beacon to prove herself as a huntress not to play schoolgirl and make friends. Before she could raise her objections, she was engulfed in a storm of rose petals.

Ruby was gone again.

Weiss sighed. It all was just one big game for her.

"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!"

Weiss waited for Ruby to pop up in another red blur.

"Ruby?"

Nothing happened and worry was starting to creep in. She might not like the girl, but she was her partner. Losing her would, undoubtedly, ruin her grade.

Leaves rustled behind her.

"Ruby…? This is not the time to play games!"

A faint grumble rose from the underbrush.

* * *

Yang was breathing heavily, not out of exhaustion but out of fury. She had been having fun playing with the ursi, but the stupid bears just had to ruin it. There was absolutely no justification for going after somebody's hair in a fight, but, for some reason, her enemies just keep doing it wherever she went.

A loud creak announced the demise of yet another tree caught in the carnage. There was a second bear around somewhere, but it hardly mattered. The fight was over, and if it had any sense of self-preservation it was running, fast.

The destruction in front of her was senseless, and yet, she was proud of it. Four years at Signal, filled with rigorous training and countless fights, had left their mark despite the restrictions she had been plagued with. The thought of what four years at Beacon would achieve made her smile.

Heavy footsteps tore her away from an image of her adult self unleashing burning carnage and destruction on everything in her path. She turned to find the second ursa charging at her, but whatever courage it had worked up was lost the moment their eyes met.

"What? You want some too?"

The fun was over and she was ready to bring the fight to a close by caving its skull in, unceremoniously.

Being confronted shook the bear out of its stupor. It rose up on its hind legs and growled at her, but the promised attack never came. A shiver ran through the beast, its frame stiffened, and it fell over like a tree trunk.

Yang watched with her head cocked to the side as the massive, black-and-white frame revealed a much smaller, similarly-colored figure.

She pushed the anger out of her mind and met Blake with gentle lilac eyes. It was the first chance she had gotten to take a good look at Blake's mission outfit, close up.

White shorts and shirt were covered by a low cut, black vest that was hugging her slim waist perfectly. Long slender legs were covered by a pair black tights A big insignia of what looked like a flower of wispy flames was stamped in white on her thighs. Her arms were wrapped in black ribbons while a very familiar looking black scarf hid her neck.

For someone intent on not being noticed, she sure knew how to dress to ruin the effort. Not that it would make much of a difference. Those slanted amber eyes framed by waves of silky, raven locks would stand out no matter what she wore.

The seemingly omnipresent purple bow on top of her head completed the picture. Yang had gotten herself a present—as striking as it was mysterious—waiting to be unwrapped.

Blake stood over the fallen bear with a stern expression. A flick of her wrist dislodged the sickle at the end of one of her ribbons from the dissolving remains and launched it back into her hand.

She lowered her head and looked up at Yang from the corner of her eyes, which were partially hidden by her long bangs. For a moment, she reminded Yang of a shy little girl, the kind that would dive behind cover at something as harmless as a wink, but the smirk on her lips spoke a different language.

"I could've taken him."

Blake rolled her eyes as she unfolded her blade and put it back into its sheath.

Cheeky, stealthy, and deadly.

Luck had been on Yang's side and her intuition had been spot on. She still felt slightly guilty about Ruby, but there was no way she would have given up on Blake, even for her sister.

The next four years were bound to be fun.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Thus begins _Part Two: Initiation_ with weekly releases every Friday or Saturday (if I don't forget…).

I've ended up shifting some things around and split _Volume One_ into five parts instead of four, which leaves me with only five chapters for part two, but it was a good place to break and I'm having some trouble with writer's block on the part I've split off (which is mostly original material).

This chapter was plagued with writer's block as well, which might show during Blake's scenes. Specifically, the one where Yang zips past her, which was rewritten five times before I gave up on it. Sorry if the quality is not up to par.

I do think Weiss and Jaune's first pov scenes worked out reasonably well, which is surprising, since Weiss is a pain in the ass to write (there's a fine line between likable bitch and genuine bitch) and I personally can't stand Jaune (although writing for him is quite amusing).

As far as the action scenes are concerned… well, I'm sorry. I tried. I've practiced quite a lot with some other projects, but I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be when it comes to writing compelling action scenes.

Now, it has been brought to my attention, that some of my characters act somewhat out of character, which is absolutely true and applies mostly to Blake and Yang.

First of all, it is a novelization based on the idea of changing things I don't necessarily agree with, without turning it into an AU (although, I might just crack once I reach _Volume Three_ and go off the rails… I really, really don't like what they did…). It is not a transcript and I do take liberties (as noted in the introduction).

I've added quite a bit to the back story of some characters (Yang specifically, since she's very underdeveloped in the original) which explains most of the behavior seen. _Part Three: School Life_ will be heavily focused on exploring my interpretations of the characters and, more specifically, on Blake (and the reader) getting to know (my) Yang.

Blake is a bit more problematic. She is the character I identify with the most, which makes her both the easiest and the most difficult character to write for. I have to make sure to keep myself out of the character, which is something I fail at frequently.

As far as her somewhat jumpy and paranoid behavior is concerned, I'd like to present the following argument (spoilers incoming, but who reads fan fiction without knowing the original anyways?):

The White Fang (Adam specifically) is extremely dangerous. He's not above murdering innocent bystanders (trailer), Blake calls him a monster (2x10 I think, the campfire scene) and he did some rather nasty things in _Volume Three_.

Blake (the traitor on the run) being afraid for her life is a reasonable assumption, in my opinion. In the city, which is her natural environment, she can easily stay ahead of whatever danger she's in. She feels safe there.

Now, she's in a remote mountain fortress, in close quarters with four years of heavily armed strangers (there are statues for 40 people during initiation and that is only the first-year class). She doesn't know or trust any of them, especially the humans (she has seen some things in her time that left a mark), and her time at Beacon is bound to an extremely flimsy disguise (a cloth bow over cat ears? that would be about as effective as superman's glasses).

Blake is a runner. She admits it herself (campfire again) and we see it several times in the show. The drastic change of environment alone should be enough to bring out the paranoiac in her, which will die down eventually. She's most likely safe from the White Fang at Beacon, but she's like a trapped animal in a new environment (no pun intended). Once she gets used to it, she will lighten up.

Keep in mind, that their initiation, even though it is a very long arc that takes up half of the original _Volume One_ , only spans the first two days of one full semester.

Blake as a character doesn't really do anything until the stray cat arc, which, as far as I can put the time line together, happens somewhere around two weeks before _Volume Two_ starts. Before that, she's mostly like Yang: interesting window dressing, only she got two (flawed) episodes, Yang got none…

They could have done a lot more, if they hadn't wasted so much time on Jaune or insisted on bringing in that stupid monkey that, in essence, stole Yang's part. Seriously, how can you have the big climactic arc of the season revolve around Blake and write out her partner(!) in favor of some random stowaway monkey?

That is all.


	7. Growing Pains

**Growing Pains**

A pair of glowing red eyes slowly faded into view. Something was hiding in the underbrush, and it was not Weiss's bratty partner.

A single growl turned into a sinister choir.

She drew _Myrtenaster_.

This was it, the moment of truth. She had trained hard using the best combat instructors and training facilities money could buy. She had studied the use of dust extensively in theory and in practice. Countless hours of her life over the past years had been spent honing her skills for this moment, and she had every confidence that she would live up to the challenge. After all, she had aced Beacon's entrance exams, proving that she had what it took to become a huntress.

Despite all that, meeting the real thing, finding herself surrounded by glowing red eyes, did not leave her unfazed. Winning a training simulation in a known environment with all manners of safety precautions in place and a top of the line medical facility next door was very different from being stuck in the wilderness, surrounded and without backup.

Almost without backup. "Ruby!" Where the hell had the little brat gone?

A large wolf-like creature jumped out of the underbrush. It was covered in black fur and white spikes. Blood red markings were etched into the bone plate covering its face.

A beowolf. One of the most basic forms of grimm. Its features were somewhere between wolf and man, allowing it to move on its hind legs. On their own, they weren't much of a danger to anyone with basic combat training, but they hunted in packs.

The massive beast in front of Weiss was no ordinary beowolf, though. It was an alpha—a bigger and much more dangerous specimen that acted as the pack's leader. They were said to rival, even surpass, ursi in danger and came with their own personal army.

It bared its fangs in a vicious snarl followed by a bone-chilling howl. On command, the forest all around Weiss came to life, and lurking red eyes turned into the beasts of nightmares that were the grimm.

Weiss held _Myrtenaster_ out in front of her in a defensive stance. For a moment, which seemed to stretch forever, nothing happened. The pack seemed wary of attacking, and Weiss couldn't move one way or another without giving them an opening.

One adventurous grimm finally lunged at her swinging its vicious claws in a wide arc. Weiss brought up her blade blocking the attack. Her defense held, but she was pushed back several feet before she could steady her stance.

Even an ordinary beowolf was surprisingly strong, and those claws and fangs would do heavy damage if they caught her. Just waiting for the pack to take swings at her would get her nowhere but to an early grave.

Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward—not that far forward—steady your breathing, wait for the right time to strike and…

She brought her rapier up. The revolving cylinder above its hilt locked into place, allowing glowing red dust to spread throughout the blade in an intricate pattern.

…now!

Weiss dashed forward sliding over the ground like an ice skater. She had aimed at the alpha, trying to cut off the snake's head in hopes of dispersing the pack. He was not ready for her assault. She had him dead to rights until a whirl of rose petals appeared in her path. It revealed Ruby swinging a massive scythe at the beast and shouting "Gotcha!"

But she hadn't. The beast had raised its spiked arm in defense. It blocked the attack and looked more annoyed than wounded. Even worse, Weiss was about to run her own partner through from behind. She barely managed to come to a halt in time.

Still stumbling forward, she lost control over the charged _Myrtenaster_ and accidentally sent a large bolt of fire into the forest. A burning trail was left behind in its path before it hit a tree, which exploded and littered the area with burning pieces of wood and foliage.

Ruby, surprised by the sudden inferno, almost missed the alpha taking a swing at her. She managed to bring up her scythe to save herself from getting disemboweled but was thrown into Weiss who barely managed to keep on her feet.

"Hey, watch it!" Ruby complained.

"Excuse me! You attacked out of turn. I could have killed you!"

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that…" Ruby mumbled under her breath as she got back on her feet.

Weiss almost wished she had run her through or gone with the scraggly blond boy instead, but it was not the time to quarrel among themselves. They were still surrounded by a pack of beowolves ready to tear them apart.

She positioning herself back-to-back with her partner and brought _Myrtenaster_ back up in a defensive position.

Ruby ejected a large red magazine from her scythe. It landed with a heavy thud, burying itself into the soft ground. The unwieldy weapon must use a massive caliber, not that it or the equally massive double blade at its head had done them any good, so far.

She loaded a new magazine, swung her scythe around, and cocked the bolt-action mechanism to load a round. The bladed head was standing out behind her ready to cleave anything that dared to approach them.

Weiss considered their options. They were surrounded, outnumbered, and on the defensive. Even worse, the fire was spreading fast, threatening to cut off their escape route.

She grabbed Ruby's arm and dragged her away. "We have to go!"

She didn't like running away, but it was the sound decision given the circumstances. Getting caught by a pack of beowolves on one side and a rapidly approaching wall of fire on the other would not end well.

Ruby looked like she was going to protest, but Weiss didn't give her the chance. She dragged the younger girl past the fire before it could trap them.

A couple of beowolves tried to chase them down but were caught in the fire. Pained whimpers were overshadowed by another bone-chilling howl from the alpha that signaled the pack's retreat from the growing inferno.

For the time being, they were safe, but the beowolves were unlikely to give up the chase that easily. They were bound to see them again soon unless some other unfortunate students crossed their path and provided enough of a distraction.

* * *

"So," Yang said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"So," Blake replied, looking at Yang expectantly.

"Nice weather, isn't it?"

Blake blinked. They were surrounded by the smoldering remains of the forest with a dissolving ursa at their feet and Yang wanted to talk about the weather?

She looked at her. The blond seemed to expect an answer.

She looked up at the sky. It was blue with big fluffy clouds dotting it. The sun was climbing towards its zenith. It was a nice day. A gentle breeze wouldn't hurt, but the Emerald Forest provided enough shade to make it pleasant. All of which was beside the point.

"Aren't there more important things to worry about than the weather?"

Yang hummed. "Probably, but I've never partnered up with someone before. Some small talk should help break the ice!"

"And you did so well at that yesterday," Blake said, dripping with sarcasm. "Your bow goes well with your… pajamas."

Yang laughed. "First of all," she held up a finger, "it does go well with your pajamas."

The blond cocked her head to the side. She rubbed her chin as her eyes roamed Blake's body, which made her feel very self-conscious.

"It does go well with that outfit too," she said nodding her head. "I'll have to see more variations to be sure, but," she looked Blake straight in the eyes, "it might just suit you. Period."

Blake blushed despite herself. She wasn't sure what to make of the blond's constant compliments. She hadn't missed the "cute" Yang had mixed into her inquiries with the ursi, and there had been some remarks that might be considered flirting. Not that she had much experience in the matter.

"Secondly!" Yang held up another finger, "We got talking. Mission accomplished!"

"The way I remember it, the conversation was going nowhere, and you were ready to give up when Ruby turned things around."

"All part of the plan," Yang said without missing a beat.

"What?" Blake asked in surprise.

Yang looked at her with a self-satisfied grin. "Small talk bought time. Ruby broke through your defenses. I got to talk to you. I'd say that's an overwhelming success."

"You used your sister to approach me? Why would you do that?"

"Would you have talked to me if I'd just come over and said hello?"

"I…" Blake didn't have to finish, they both knew the answer.

"The moment I realized what you were up to, I started wondering how to go about things without spooking you. When Ruby told me that you were her mystery ally I couldn't believe my luck." Yang said, smiling from ear to ear. "So, I took a gamble and look at us now. Partners and all. I'd say I won."

Blake thought about it. Would she have considered Yang at all if they hadn't talked the night before? The blond did a good job at hiding her strength. At a glance, the only things that would have made her stand out from their peers were her looks and her bubbly image. Both would have worked against her. The same was true for their impromptu staring match.

The sound of gunfire brought Blake's attention back to the task at hand. She might have found a partner, but their mission was far from over. By the sound of it, they had lost their leading position.

"We should get going," Blake said. "The commotion you caused must have woken up every grimm between here and Beacon."

Yang laughed nervously.

"Our mission is to retrieve a relic, not to fight grimm."

Yang sighed and shook her head as she walked past Blake. "You're missing the most important part." She looked back at Blake who had fallen in with her but kept a step behind. "We were supposed to find a partner. Making noise made that a lot easier. And it was a lot of fun!"

Blake scoffed. The notion of having fun on a deadly-serious mission went against everything she had been taught, but if it hadn't been for Yang's complete disregard of common sense in a dangerous situation, she wouldn't have been able to track her down.

Yang gave her a knowing smile before she turned her eyes back front. They walked in silence for a while. Had she been alone, Blake would have moved considerably faster. She would have taken the high road through the trees or kept to the underbrush instead of presenting an easy target by casually walking in the open.

There was a more pressing concern on her mind, though. Something about Yang was bothering her. Before they had partnered up, she had been loud and irrational, almost like a petulant child demanding attention. Now, she was walking along in silence with a satisfied smile on her face. If boredom had been the problem, she wouldn't be any better off now than she had been before, and yet, she looked content.

"Why me?" Blake asked. Her voice was more timid than she had intended. So much so, that Yang had to turn around and ask her to repeat herself.

"You were asking for Ruby and me. Your sister I understand, but why would you be looking for me? We barely know each other and there had to be other people more suitable than me."

Yang hummed. "Like who?"

Blake was stumped by the implication. Did Yang actually consider her the best possible choice?

"Former classmates?"

A dark expression grazed her partner's features, only raising more questions. Yang wasn't a celebrity like Pyrrha, but she had been approached by several groups of people the night before. Former classmates were the most likely explanation, but it wouldn't explain Yang's reaction, would it?

Blake dropped the thought. It was a secret to be uncovered another time.

"How about Pyrrha Nikos. You enjoy fighting and both of you are very capable."

"The Mistral champion?" Yang smashed her fist into her palm and laughed. "I'm looking forward to knocking her off her pedestal. But as a partner? I don't know…"

Blake frowned. Yang was strong, but dealing with a hunkering brute was very different from fighting a skilled opponent. She might be setting herself up for a fall if she went after Pyrrha.

Yang turned to look Blake in the eyes. "I'm sure you've studied her more thoroughly than I have. Yesterday, this morning, probably even before you set foot on Beacon," she said with a knowing smirk. "She might be a great fighter, and I'm sure she's a nice person, but from what I've seen, she seemed kind of timid… and boring."

Boring… It was the sort of thing Blake would expect Yang to have a problem with, so, she chose a girl that had spent almost all of her time reading and avoiding people.

"If that's a problem, you should have gone for someone like Nora, not me."

"Nora?"

"Pink dress, orange hair, very active."

"Oh, her," Yang said in recognition but shook her head. "Might be fun to hang out with on weekends, occasionally, but I've already got a bundle of boundless energy to deal with. Don't really need another one."

Was she talking about Ruby? It wasn't the impression Blake had gotten from her, but her sister would know better than a stranger who had spent all but five minutes talking to her.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Yang asked in a surprisingly serious tone.

Blake looked back with a blank expression. Obviously, or she wouldn't have asked.

Yang sighed. "I could say something like 'I had a good feeling about you!', but that would just make you scoff at me again, wouldn't it?"

Blake held her blank expression, hoping it would urge Yang to continue. She was stuck with her partner for the next four years, and she wanted to understand what their relationship was based on.

"Honestly? We only got to talk for a short while, but I enjoyed myself."

Blake sighed inwardly. It always came back to that with the blond. Then again, had her reasoning been so different?

"Besides, you did help Ruby, so, I'm sure you're a good person at heart."

Blake's brows furrowed. She had long since stopped thinking of herself as a good person, and, if she was honest, sticking it to a Schnee had been just as much her motivation as helping Ruby, if not more so.

"Most importantly!" Yang turned around, walking backward. "Who wouldn't go for the suspicious stranger and her mysterious past?" Yang faced forward again and hummed. "Whatever your story, it's bound to be an interesting ride, and, as your partner, I've got a front row seat."

Much to her surprise, Blake had managed to keep a straight face. If only she could agree with Yang, but she couldn't reveal her past no matter what, and if it ever caught up with her Yang would have to look for a new partner.

"What about you?" Yang asked, looking over her shoulder. "How did I end up your first choice?"

Blake looked at her partner with an incredulous expression. Confidence was one thing, arrogance another entirely, even if it was technically true.

"You weren't. I was going after Ruby, but she ended up on the other end of the field, and I didn't like my chances."

"That's a lie," Yang said without skipping a beat.

Blake eyed her suspiciously. She still couldn't tell if Yang was extremely sharp or just lucky.

"You complained about me waking up every grimm between us and the cliff, you knew that I was looking for you, and you popped out of the woodwork at an awfully convenient time.

"If I had to guess, I'd say I passed you by before I crashed into that stupid tree. You stalked me through the forest, continuing your reconnaissance and, once you were satisfied, dropped in to show off and claim your prize."

"Which proves that I considered you a satisfactory choice given the circumstances not that you were my first choice."

Yang beamed at Blake with a mischievous grin. "It also proves that you're very sneaky when you're actually trying. I had no idea you were there until you killed that ursa. Nice move by the way. Not many spots on a beast that size, where that small blade of yours would be fatal in a single blow."

Blake glared at Yang. The blond had played her like a fiddle.

Yang seemed satisfied and returned to the original topic. "The reason I was your first choice was the same that made you mine." Blake nearly bumped into Yang as she came to an abrupt halt. "Intuition!" she said with unwavering conviction.

Blake sighed. "That's not a reason. It's a vague feeling by definition devoid of reasoning."

"And yet," Yang put a hand on her hip and raised the other as if to lecture her, "it was all we needed. I'm sure you have a list of reasons why you should have gone after Ruby. She's a strong fighter, a hard worker, smart, kind, funny, more dedicated to becoming a huntress than anyone, and you even share a hobby."

"It's a bit late for a sales pitch," Blake remarked coldly.

Yang laughed. "Just saying, whoever snags her up is incredibly lucky, and your brain might have been convinced to do so, but your gut wasn't."

Blake furrowed her brows. "My gut?"

"Your gut! What was the first thing that came to your mind when the headmaster unveiled his scheme? Aside from 'That guy's insane!'" Yang said with a dramatized eye roll. "Who was the first person that came to mind? Where were your eyes drawn to? And did you bother to check on anybody else?"

Blake tried her best to keep a straight face and avoid giving herself away, but she must have failed.

"Thought not. And I get it because that's exactly what happened to me."

Yang put her hands together behind her head and looked up into the sky. "Partner's at first sight… Almost like it was made for us. You know, like in one of Ruby's fairy tales. Our fates were intertwined the moment our eyes had met the night before." Yang peeked at Blake from the corner of her eyes. "Romantic, isn't it?" she asked with a wink.

Blake stared at her partner, who had turned her attention back to the clouds in the sky. She couldn't mean… could she? No, there were many ways in which a story could be romantic, it didn't always have to be like that.

"That being said," Yang turned to face Blake with a beaming smile, "I think we'll be just fine."

Blake couldn't stop her lips from curling up ever so slightly.

"Name's Yang Xiao Long," she said, holding out a hand.

Blake shook it without hesitation. "Blake Belladonna."

"Nice to meet you, partner."

"Likewise."

"Now let's get this mission over with, so you can finally stop being all serious and relax a bit."

Blake rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her lips.

* * *

Jaune was exhausted. One wouldn't think think that walking through a forest was much different from walking on any odd path. One would be mistaken.

He'd been following Pyrrha for a while now—she seemed to know where they were going—and between the soft, often mossy ground, the rolling hills, and the stretches of thick underbrush they had pushed through rather than walked around, the day had turned into one of the most physically straining experiences of his life.

Jaune wasn't an outdoorsy kind of guy. Come to think of it, he wasn't much of an athlete either. He like reading comic books or watching movies. Lazing around on the couch with an assortment of his favorite snack foods, that was his kind of afternoon.

What he wasn't, was a trained fighter. He just had the misfortune of being the only male heir of a family that traced its lineage back through history—one great champion of mankind after the other—and the sword and shield he had inherited had been the arms of choice for the head of the family for generations.

He sighed. If only one of his older sisters had been a boy, he could be lazying around at home, safe and sound, catching up on his movie backlog, instead of trekking through a dangerous forest.

Pyrrha had arrived at another wall of green. He knew what that meant. More thorny bushes scratching his skin and snaring his clothes, more slimy vines sticking to his face, more spider webs clinging to him, and more weird insects crawling all over him. What fun!

His red-haired guide pushed through without hesitation. Pyrrha was showing no signs of exhaustion or slowing down. Not that he had expected her to. She was well built, very athletic, could throw that spear with pinpoint accuracy over hundreds of yards, and was some kind of great tournament champion. She probably could keep up the pace all day without skipping a beat.

Jaune wasn't sure how much longer he could go on without taking a break. Still, the knight doesn't ask the maiden for a break. Though, he was starting to feel like their roles had been reversed. So far, he had been rescued twice, and Pyrrha was leading them on their epic quest while he was just tagging along.

They had barely merged into the underbrush when a couple of explosions echoed through the forest.

"Did you hear that?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha looked over her shoulder. "Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."

He wasn't sure what worried him more: that he had completely forgotten about being in grimm country and could be attacked at any moment or Pyrrha's lack of a reaction. She wasn't surprised or worried about a fight breaking out in the area and moved on as if nothing had happened.

Jaune tried to follow Pyrrha's example, but with every gunshot in the distance it became more difficult to ignore them. He kept peeking back, wondering if something was headed their way. Not that it would make any difference. The thick underbrush limited his visibility to a couple of yards at best. If anything came that close, it would take a bite out of him before he could draw his sword.

He forced his attention back to his partner. Pyrrha was strong. Someone with her reputation had to be. If anything happened, she would save the day. She had to…

Beacon so far hadn't played out how he had expected it to. He had thought that they would get some training before they would be thrown into any life-and-death situations. A survival trip through the wilderness on their second day hadn't been mentioned in the info material.

Another set of gunshots distracted him. Whatever was happening back there, was taking a long time. But at least it was a sign that whoever it was was still alive and the beasties were still distracted.

He barely spotted a brown flash before a sharp pain ran through his cheek, and he found himself sitting on his butt seeing stars.

Pyrrha turned around alarmed.

Jaune groaned and shook his head to clear his vision. Between him and Pyrrha stood a willowy branch exactly at the right height to hit his face. Pyrrha must have pushed it out of the way and he had walked right into it like a dunce.

He tried to rub his cheek to ease the pain, but, the moment he touched it, he felt another sting of pain. His fingertips were covered in blood.

Must have broken the skin, great.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha sounded genuine, but Jaune noticed a hint of confusion.

"It's okay. Just a scratch, see?"

Pyrrha's frown deepened as she stepped closer to him. "Why didn't you activate your aura?"

"My what?"

"Your aura."

"Gesundheit?"

* * *

Ruby came to a stop on a hill overlooking the smoldering remains of the forest she and Weiss had left behind. There were no signs that they had been followed, and the fire was spreading the other way. It was the perfect time to confront her partner about their terrible performance.

Weiss was leaning over, trying to catch her breath. Their short sprint uphill had tired the rich princess out more than Ruby would have expected from a huntress-in-training. Stamina clearly hadn't been the focus of whatever training she had gone through before coming to Beacon.

"What was that? That should have been easy!"

It should have been. If she had been with Yang, the pack would be nothing but a bunch of dissolving corpses by now. The forest might still be on fire, but at least they would have won.

"Well, perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I would not have set the forest on fire!"

Ruby scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I am just surprised that someone who talks so much, would communicate so little during an encounter."

Ruby crossed her arms. "I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!"

"Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak its way into Beacon. Bravo!" Weiss turned around and walked away, leaving her partner behind.

Ruby couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed _Crescent Rose_ from her back and, with an agitated shriek, sliced a tree clean through.

If she had expected any reaction from her partner, she would have been mistaken. Ruby sighed. Arguing with the rich princess was futile. She should have known so from the start. She should have known after the last three times they had run into each other. Weiss had no intention of even trying to get along.

She should have left the moment Weiss had walked away. She had clearly meant to ignore their meeting and look for someone else. If she had run off and kept looking for Yang, Weiss would never have been able to catch up with her.

Her partner disappeared behind some bushes. No matter how much the thought of losing Weiss appealed to Ruby, it would only complicate things at this point. She put _Crescent Rose_ away and followed.

She couldn't wait for the day to be over…

* * *

"Jaune," Pyrrha asked with deep wrinkles in her brows, "do you know what aura is?"

Jaune scoffed. He had no idea what Pyrrha was talking about, but he was supposed to be a highly qualified student, or so his parents had made him out to be, and if that aura stuff was something he was supposed to be able to do, he naturally was able to do it. He would just have to read up on it in the library later.

"Of course, I do!" He pointed at Pyrrha. "Do you know what aura is?"

Pyrrha's frown gave way to a gentle smile. "Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts."

Yeah, that didn't help, at all.

"Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Intuition can be a manifestation of our aura, and, with practice, it can do much more. It can become our shield or our sword. It is a hunter's most important tool, but we aren't the only one's who can use it. Everybody has it, even animals."

"What about monsters?"

"No. The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness, we are the light."

Jaune nodded, hoping that his ignorance wasn't too obvious.

"By baring our soul outward as a force, we can deflect harm or cause damage. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for aura allowing us to use it to greater effect or with greater efficiency. Its most important aspect, however, is that it allows us to protect ourselves when fighting."

"It's like a force field!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Yes, if you want to look at it that way."

She walked up to him until they came face to face. Jaune gulped nervously. He wasn't used to beautiful girl's getting into his personal space, and this was hardly the time to think about that sort of thing. Besides, he had Weiss…

"Now," Pyrrha said as she raised her hand to cup his unharmed cheek, "close your eyes and concentrate."

"Uh, okay," Jaune complied. He had no idea what she was up to, but going along for the ride might not be the worst thing in the world.

For a moment, nothing happened. A very long moment stretched out by anticipation and confusion. Suddenly, the skin Pyrrha was touching started to feel warm. He felt her other hand on his chest, directly over his heart. It spread the same comfortable warmth throughout his body. Both streams converged at the center of his chest where they met and intertwined.

"For it is in passing, that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death."

The feeling at the center of his chest changed, ever so slightly, before it started to grow rapidly, flooding every cell of his body.

"I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."

Pyrrha's hands left his body, but the warm feeling remained. Jaune bathed in it. His surroundings and the danger they were in all but forgotten. Heavy breathing finally brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes to find Pyrrha standing hunched over, exhausted.

"Pyrrha?"

She straightened herself, but the exhaustion was still clearly visible on her face.

"It's all right. I used my aura to unlock yours. The energy that protects you now is your own."

Jaune looked down at his hands, noticing the faint white glow that seemed to surround his entire body. His cheek was tingling. The pain was almost gone. He carefully touched the spot where he had been cut but found only pristine skin.

"You have a lot of it," Pyrrha said.

A faint "wow" was all Jaune could muster as he tried to take in the change he had undergone.

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch watched Professor Ozpin stare at his tablet, lost in thought. He hadn't moved from his spot at the edge of the cliffs ever since the students had been sent off into the forest. Even after all the years she had spent as his right hand, there were still times when she couldn't tell what was going on in his head.

She took a peek at the headmaster's tablet. As expected, it was focused on the same feed it had been from the start. He always picked a small number of outstanding students to watch during events like these, and his instincts were usually correct. This year, he had focused almost entirely on one student, which wasn't surprising given her circumstances, but, as headmaster, he had a responsibility to all of his students. A responsibility, he occasionally needed reminding of.

"The last pair has been formed, sir."

The feed on Glynda's tablet showed Mister Lie and Miss Valkyrie meeting up over the remains of some grimm. There wasn't a scratch on either of them, and they seemed to be in good spirits.

"Poor boy. I can't possibly imagine those two getting along."

The headmaster's attention remained focused on the live feed of his choice.

Glynda sighed. She understood him well enough to know when there was no point in discussing a topic. Besides, there were some more concerning matters at hand, which had caught his attention as well if the smaller feeds he was monitoring at the side were anything to go by.

"Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos," Glynda said as she tapped her screen to switch feeds.

The headmaster hummed.

On screen, Miss Nikos and Mister Arc were traversing the underbrush. The boy got hit in the face by a branch, which was enough to draw blood. It was only a minor scratch, nothing to be worried about on the face of things, but the implications were problematic. Even the weakest of aura shields should have prevented an injury of that level.

"I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat."

As expected, there was no comment on the boy's questionable qualifications. His application had raised questions that remained unanswered as the headmaster had waved it through with less scrutiny than Glynda was comfortable with.

His wasn't the only one. Glynda tapped her screen again. The feed switched to a pair of students engaged in a fight with a pack of beowolves. Miss Xiao Long had taken point. She was headed straight for the towering alpha without taking any prisoners on the way. Her skill was exceptional for a first-year student, but that was expected given her heritage. The childish glee with which she threw herself into combat, however, was worrying and would have to be addressed in time.

It was her companion that had Glynda's attention. Miss Belladonna was able to keep up with her fiery partner, which was a considerable feat in its own right. She had fallen in at her blind spot, quickly and efficiently disposing of anything that approached her partner from her flanks or back.

Hers was another application that had raised a red flag with Glynda. Her _résumé_ and references were questionable and had proven almost impossible to verify or follow up. Her performance during her entrance exams had spoken for itself, though, and it wasn't Beacon's policy to turn away promising students unless there was a very good reason to do so. The way Miss Belladonna interacted with the beowolves vindicated Glynda's caution. It wasn't something that could be learned by studying theory or during sparring matches. It spoke of experience that could only be gathered beyond the walls of the kingdoms.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't put Miss Belladonna's past under closer scrutiny? Waving her application through unchallenged was a risk in and of itself, allowing her to become partners with Miss Xiao Long, of all people, can only lead to trouble."

The headmaster hummed again. "The resident wild child in search of her past and the mysterious stranger trying to escape hers." He shot Glynda a sideways glance. "Possibility and risk often go hand in hand."

Glynda sighed. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

His mind was made up and there was little point in arguing. She put down a note reminding herself to keep a closer eye on the pair before shutting off her tablet.

They weren't the only pairing that might cause more trouble than it was worth, but the headmaster's interest in the student in question made her less of a priority for Glynda who, after some discussions with her Miss Xiao Long's father, had been nominated to continue his work now that his daughter was out of his reach.

Glynda didn't like the idea of giving special attention to select students, but Miss Xiao Long's circumstances warranted a more hands-on approach. Her potential was as astounding as it was dangerous, especially given her personality, which seemed to combine the most problematic traits of both her parents.

Trouble was never far with the type of people drawn to becoming hunters, and some of the best were also among the worst troublemakers Glynda had ever met. Having Miss Belladonna close to her special project might prove advantageous in the long run. At the very least, it would make it easier to keep an eye on her.

"They should reach the temple within a few minutes. Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?"

There was no answer. The headmaster's attention had returned to the screen of his tablet, showing his special project.

* * *

Ruby sat cross-legged on the soft forest floor. She was trying hard to forget where she was and who she was with.

"It's definitely this way," Weiss said, pacing in one direction.

Ruby had found an almost perfectly almond-shaped leaf. She was reminded of the collection of dried and pressed leaves she had built up as a little girl on many a beautiful autumn day out with her sister.

"I mean… this way! It's definitely this way," Weiss said, pacing in the opposite direction.

Ruby hadn't thought about her collection for years. It had been Yang's idea, really. Ruby had found a funny leaf—it had holes in it that made it look like a smiling face—and had shown it off to her sister. She had told Ruby, that they could make it last forever if they put it in a book. Something big and heavy.

After they had gotten home, Yang had stolen a volume of a large encyclopedia from their father's study. He hadn't been happy about it, but, after Ruby had proudly shown off the first specimen of her collection, he had let Yang off the hook, provided, she would ask before taking his things in the future. It was a conversation that happened repeatedly over the years.

Ruby sighed and let the leaf drift to the ground. Collecting leaves was a pastime for little children not for a huntress-in-training, and no matter how pleasant the memories they weren't helping her current situation.

Weiss stopped in front of Ruby. "Alright, it's official: we passed it."

Ruby couldn't take it anymore. She got up and faced Weiss. "Why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?"

"Because I know exactly where we're going! We're going to… the forest temple!"

Ruby groaned. She had reached the point where she felt like smacking the princess, not because it would help their situation, but simply because it might make her feel better. If she was Yang, she would probably have done so half an hour ago, but Ruby was a less firm believer in the problem-solving power of a strong fist, and her relationship with her partner was strained enough already.

"Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!" Weiss said.

"Well, at least I'm not pretending to know everything!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means You're a big, stupid jerk," Ruby stamped her foot, "and I hate you!"

Weiss groaned. She spun around and started walking off, again. "Just keep moving!"

Ruby, fed up with her partner's attitude, resorted to the next best thing to slugging her: a mocking imitation. "Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah!" She rubbed her eyes as if she was crying. "Watch where you are going!"

When Weiss didn't respond to Ruby's taunts, she took a more direct approach. "Why are you so bossy?"

"I'm not bossy!" Weiss continued in a much less confrontational tone, "Don't say things like that."

Ruby, unfortunately, hadn't caught the hint of self-consciousness. "Stop treating me like a kid!"

"Stop acting like a kid!"

"Well, stop acting like you're perfect!"

"I'm. Not. Perfect!"

The fight came to a crashing halt. Ruby and Weiss were staring at each other. Neither of them seemed to have expected Weiss's admission.

Weiss was the first to recover. "Not yet." She took a couple of steps backward. "But I'm still leagues better than you."

Ruby watched her partner walk off, yet again. She was starting to loose count of how often they had gone through the same pattern since their paths had crossed. Every time it happened, she felt her hopes of making their partnership work die a little bit more. She might be able to wield a massive and dangerous weapon, and be willing to face monsters whose mere mention was enough to make most people's blood freeze in their veins, but she was still just a young girl at heart and Weiss's constant abuse was starting to get to her.

"You don't even know me…" she mumbled to herself dejectedly as she watched Weiss walk away.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

So, I'm back from a very unplanned hiatus. Sorry about that. I split the story into parts to compartmentalize and make sure that I always release a somewhat finished bit of story and the first thing I do is drop of the grid for two months after releasing a dangling chapter…

I jumped the gun trying to get a release out because… holidays really. Seemed like a good time to release somethings and _Part Two_ only needed another editing run to be good enough for release.

Then things happened and I ran into a colossal writers block. What was supposed to be a week or two away from writing to recharge turned into two months which I spent mostly reading and watching Netflix rather than trying to write anything…

I picked up a few new obsessions along the way and I might put a list of fandoms/pairings I'm interested in at the end of the last chapter of _Part Two_ to get some feedback on what other project I might want to pick up. It feels like I need something that isn't RWBY to switch to whenever I get stuck again. Writing on something else sounds better than just dropping off for another month or of not writing at all after all.

Anyhow, there's three chapters left in _Part Two_ (four if I decide to split the 10k words monstrosity that is the final chapter of _Part Two_ ) and all that's left to do is to fix some grammar, punctuation, and all that nonsense which I never get right no matter how much I try.

It feels like I've got my mojo back, but there might still be another break before _Part Three_ will be finished and, after what happened this time around, I'm absolutely not going to release any part of it before it's done.

Oh, yeah, as for Pyrrha's speech, the original was horrible (just like most of Ozpin's speeches). Large portions of those speeches just don't make any sense to me. I don't think it's down to a language comprehension issue (not being a native speaker myself that's always something I have to consider) but rather the fact that most of the speeches were written in a (failed) attempt to sound profound rather than to actually say anything. I try to fix them, but… I'm not exactly good at that sort of thing either…

This chapter also contained some more original material, mostly to have some Yang/Blake time who otherwise wouldn't have shown up at all. They might be a bit out of character, which will most likely be a reoccuring trend. There is surprisingly little direct interaction between Blake and Yang in the show to lean on and I deliberately exagerate some character traits, expand a few backstories, etc. Pretty sure I mentioned already that it will make more sense after _Part Three_ which will be heavily focused on getting to know Blake and Yang.

Also, does anyone know if Ren is Lie Ren's first or last name? Everyone calls him Ren, but his name is usually writen as Lie Ren and even chinese names follow western name order (Yang Xiao Long) in the RWBY universe. So, why is everyone calling him by his last name? Or is his name order reversed? Just wondering, because I needed last names for Glynda's PoV (which will be a very, very rare occurance as I'm trying to cut out all teacher/adult/bad guy pov's for a variety of reasons).

That is all.


	8. Forest Temple

**Forest Temple**

Against her better judgment, Blake was content. She was in enemy territory, and her mission was far from over. It wasn't the time to relax or let her guard down, but she found it difficult not to let her blond partner's casual attitude affect her.

Truth be told, Blake wasn't sure if it had anything to do with her partner's attitude at all. She had known about hunters being trained in teams—it was common practice all over Remnant—but it hadn't fully sunk in until she had arrived at Beacon and started to worry about potential teammates. Her notion of making it on her own, unnoticed like a shadow in the night, had been no less naive than Ruby's vision of hunters as selfless heroes saving the world.

Being trapped in a foreign place filled with strangers, most of which were human, was only part of what had caused her anxiety and worries. Trying desperately to analyze her peers in order to find the perfect match had done little but fan the flames. Looking back, it had become clear that she had been over-thinking the issue from the start. No matter who she would have chosen as her partner or her teammates, there were no guarantees things would work out, no matter how well matched someone might seem. A painful lesson Blake had learned in the past.

What she had found in the end, was very different from herself. Yang was more concerned with enjoying the moment and living her life than with what tomorrow might bring. She was excitable, unreasonable, and many more things Blake should have an issue with. She was also surprisingly good company.

Blake wouldn't be Blake without looking at their partnership in more practical terms, though. It wasn't the strange pull that Yang seemed to have on her or her spectacular display of strength against the ursi that had sold Blake on their partnership, but the ease at which their teamwork had come to them against the pack of beowolves that had tried to ambush them.

Yang's approach the combat was almost the exact opposite of Blake's: direct and powerful. She hadn't bothered with strategy or tactics, but gone with the flow of the fight, relying on her intuition instead. What Yang lacked in dealing with the big picture, she made up for up close and personal. She was just as capable outnumbered by quick and cunning enemies like beowolves as she was facing the hulking giants that were ursi.

Blake preferred to study and control her enemies. Avoid them if possible, take them out from the shadows if necessary. That wasn't to say, that she couldn't hold herself in an open fight, but, to her, direct confrontation was a risk to be avoided rather than her primary strategy.

The mentality with which they went into a fight was just as contrary. For Blake, fights were serious and dangerous while Yang seemed to approach them more like games, smiling, laughing, even making jokes all throughout.

Before coming to Beacon, Blake would have considered someone like Yang to be a terrible choice for her partner. She wasn't a thief or a spy anymore, though, but a hunter. Combat would more often than not be the goal rather than the exception, and their differences created an interesting synergy for this very different role.

Blake's speed and battlefield awareness allowed her to control her partner's surroundings while Yang's stopping power could deal with enemies like alphas or ursi without the need of a well-planned ambush.

There was more to it, though. Yang had an undeniable presence on the battlefield, almost, like she exuded an aura of threat. The bestial grimm seemed instinctively drawn to her and even responded, at least at a basic level, to her attempts at communication. The body language of the ursi had shown what Blake would consider confusion and fear in an animal and the beowolves had downright refused to approach her until the alpha had given the command.

Blake's presence, in the meantime, had been overshadowed by her partner's, allowing her to blend into the background and go unnoticed until it was too late and _Gambol Shroud_ had struck true.

Yang had become the sun, burning bright to draw everyone's attention while Blake had become the shadow that falls over the world, unnoticed, in her wake. A poetic, almost romantic notion for a tactic Blake had never considered before. It brought a smile to her face. She had become the Yin to Yang's… Yang.

Blake rolled her eyes at herself. It was an apt comparison for the most part, but she really had to cut out the cheesy romance novels if that was the best her mind could come up with. Not to mention, that feeding Yang any chance to make a pun was something she might come to regret, dearly. The blond hat tried and failed on multiple occasions and should not be encoura—

Yang stopped in her tracks without warning almost causing Blake to bump into her. Her ears perked up under her bow. The serious expression on Yang's face could only mean one thing: She had noticed something Blake had missed daydreaming.

Never take your mind off the mission. It was yet another entry on the list of amateur mistakes she had committed over the last twenty-four hours.

Her hand had reached for _Gambol Shrowd_ , ready to remove it from her back at a moment's notice, while her eyes were scanning her surrounding for any hint of movement. A deep sigh drew her attention away from the forest surrounding them. Her happy-go-lucky partner turned around to face her with her hands on her hips and a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Just how long are you going to keep this up?"

Blake looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" Yang said, alternately pointing at Blake's and her own feet as if the gesture explained anything.

Blake raised an eyebrow. She was in no mood to play guessing games.

Yang sighed again and scratched the back of her neck. "We're supposed to be partners, right?"

"Right."

"Then why aren't you acting like it?"

Blake's confusion only increased. She had joined Yang on their mission. They had been fighting together and were working towards their common goal. She wasn't doing anything different from what she had done in the past.

"I'm not?"

"No, you're not," Yang said with authority, but it didn't look like she was going to supply an explanation.

Blake's brows furrowed. "We have a mission to accomplish and we've been making good progress. The ruins we spotted a while ago should lie on the other side of the hill right in front of us. Unless some unexpected problems arise, we'll be on our way back in no time and finish hours before our deadline despite our currently sluggish pace. I'd count that as a successful start to our partnership."

Yang's disappointment was written all over her face as her gaze drifted to the ground. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Blake felt a pang of annoyance at her partner's attitude, but it was quickly replaced by a growing worry about their situation. She had gotten carried away, even considered Yang a stroke of luck, but the blond's behavior spoke a different language.

Yang was having second thoughts. She must have realized that she had made a mistake and would rather have partnered up with someone else. Her regret would put a strain on their relationship that would fester and grow, and make both their lives miserable for years to come.

Blake should have known better and followed her original plan. She should have listened to her first instincts rather than letting herself get carried away by the blond's antics.

Yang raised her head again, ready to say something, but whatever it had been died in her throat as their eyes met. A spark of realization hit both of them. Blake had done a poor job of hiding her inner turmoil.

"Whoa!" Yang shoved the palm of her hand in Blake's face. "Hold it right there. I'm not going to try and trade you in or something."

Another lucky guess?

"Never mind, that they wouldn't let me do it, I'd have to be insane to give you up. I mean, have you seen us back there? We were awesome!"

Yang put her hands behind her head and looked up into the blue sky. Blake stayed focused on her partner's face, carefully studying it for any hint of an expression that could help her figure out what was going on.

"Maybe I just went into this with the wrong expectations. After what had happened up on the cliff and the way you popped up out of nowhere in the forest, I just thought…"

The pregnant pause did nothing to ease Blake's anxiety.

"That fight was great. We were great. No doubt about it. I don't think working with somebody has ever come that easy to me before."

A sentiment shared by Blake, which only added to her confusion.

"I know we weren't exactly in a position to discuss it, but why did you just go along with what I did? I get that there should be someone in charge during a fight, even in a very small team. It's like a dance, someone has to lead, but that doesn't make the other person any less important."

Despite her situation, Blake couldn't help but to get distracted by Yang's analogy. Her experience with the topic was entirely fictional, but it made sense from what she had read. What she couldn't picture was Yang in an elegant, subdued dress enjoying an evening of formal dancing in a ballroom, rather than a loud and overcrowded dance floor in a nightclub.

"I'd bet half a year's worth of my allowance that you've got a better head for that kind of thing than me. I might be a decent fighter, but I'm not leadership material, and I don't think you've ever thought otherwise, even for a second."

"Hardly." The sarcastic comment had escaped Blake before she could stop herself. Yang was right, but the situation was delicate enough and Blake still had no clue what it was that had caused her partner's mood shift. It wasn't the time to antagonize her further. Or so Blake had thought…

"Thought as much." A smirk formed in the corner of Yang's mouth. "And yet, you didn't challenge the situation. Never mind discussing it, there wasn't even so much as a quick look to confirm what we were doing. You just fell into place as if we had already decided that I would be in charge."

Was Yang getting somewhere with that? Blake's former partner was her mentor and teacher. Naturally, she took on the role of the subordinate on the field. Force of habit might have played a small part in the heat of the moment, but there was a good reason for Blake's decision.

"Any truly coordinated or planned effort would have required a far greater familiarity which each other than we currently possess, leaving only the instinctive approach. I knew more about the way you fight than you did about mine. Consequently, my chances of predicting your actions and reacting accordingly were greater than yours."

"Makes sense… But then there is this," Yang said, pointing at their feet again.

"What about this?" Blake asked, mirroring the gesture.

"Look at where we're going." Yang pointed to the north. "Look at how we're standing." She pointed at their feet again.

"So?"

Yang sighed again. "You know, ever since we've joined up, you've not once walked beside me. You've always kept a step or two behind and lurked halfway hidden behind my back."

That was her issue? That they hadn't walked side by side?

"So, what are you? My bodyguard? My subordinate? Have you spied on me long enough to decide that I should be the interim leader of our little team? When were you going to tell me about it, and was I ever going to have a say in the matter?"

Blake took a moment to think it over. Yang was right, in a way. Just as she was used to, she had taken a secondary role in their two-man team. They might not have discussed the issue, but the reasoning was just as sound for the mission in general as it was for any given combat situation.

"It's crucial to a mission's success—"

"Yeah, yeah," Yang interrupted her, "I've read the textbook, I've gone through some basic group drills, and I really don't care. It's not like we're on a real mission anyways."

Blake raised an eyebrow, wondering what irrational explanation Yang would come up with this time.

"Don't look at me like that. You don't seriously consider this a dangerous mission, do you?" Yang asked without receiving an answer. "This is a game. A bit of smoke and mirrors they throw at their freshman to scare away the one's who aren't cut out for it."

Yang put one hand on her hip and held the other up casually, ready to deliver a lecture. "Think about it. We're in Beacon's back yard. They're probably running drills and exercises here all year round. And right now, a good thirty or forty people capable enough to make it through Beacon's entrance exams are canvassing this stretch of the forest. The few grimm that might have moved in during the break are in for a bad time.

"This part of the Emerald Forest is probably one of the safest parts of the wilderness you could find. How long do you think the headmaster would last if tomorrow's headline was 'Half of Beacon's Freshmen Dead on Second Day of School!'

"There won't be any actually dangerous grimm out here. Not from our point of view at least, or are we still pretending, that we've never done this before?"

"No," Blake said warily. She hadn't forgotten how close Yang had come to uncovering at least one of her secrets before and she still wasn't sure how much the blond truly knew or suspected about her.

"I just thought…" Yang groaned in frustration and rubbed the back of her neck forcibly. "For the next four years, there's going to be team leaders, seniors, class presidents, teachers… We'll be surrounded by people who, for one reason or another, think that they're in charge of us.

"Maybe that's why I liked the idea of having a partner. Having teammates might be nice, but the teams are still based on how we're going to be taught and on how we're going to go on missions. It's practical. Being partners sounds more personal. It's something we don't have to share with anyone. Something that doesn't have ranks or roles to be played. Just you and me against the world! Partners; sisters-in-arms; equals in every way."

Blake was stumped. She had had no idea how important the issue was to Yang, nor was she sure what to make of it. On the surface, it sounded nice but also very naive. Having that one person, who would have your back through whatever might happen… It sounded like wishful thinking. A romanticized fantasy used in fairy tales and an adventure stories, not something that would happen in real life. Especially between a faunus and a human. Trying to be considered equal was something Blake had struggled with her entire life and all but given up on the notion.

She couldn't help but wonder if Yang would have brought it up at all if she had known that her partner was faunus. It might not be fair to doubt the blond just because she was human, but even those who had claimed not to care about her ears in the past had failed to follow through without exception. There had always been subtle glances or the odd comment that had made Blake doubt their indifference, eventually.

"Maybe I was just looking forward too much to spending the day out with the cheeky girl that wouldn't hesitate to kick my ass if I try to do something stupid, rather the good little soldier."

The cheeky girl that wouldn't… Was that the impression Yang had gotten of her? How? And when? If she had looked forward to it, it must have happened before they had met up. Their improvised staring matches? Was that the impression she had given or was Yang just fantasizing about the partner she had wanted to get?

"Still, I suppose we can focus on that once we're done here," Yang turned and continue walking, "and it is better than the only other explanation I could come up with."

Blake didn't move. She watched her partner walk away from her, considering her last comment. Should she inquire about it or let it drop and hope it never came up again?

In the end, she couldn't just leave it alone. Not if there was a chance that Yang had figured out more about her than she was supposed to and might hold it over her head whenever she felt like it in the future.

"What other explanation?"

Yang turned around and looked at her with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "That you think I'm the one who's going to stick a knife in your back the moment you take your eyes off me."

Blake's eyes went wide. She hadn't forgotten a very similar comment Yang had made the night before. How could she, when her own anxiety—her irrational paranoia—stood at the heart of their first meeting.

Yang continued to walk away. "I'd rather have a partner that's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud than one that won't trust me at all."

Blake stared at the swaying golden mane lost in thought. She had been worried about some regret of Yang's weighing heavily on their relationship when her own irrational fears could bring it crashing down around them at a moment's notice.

The situation could still be saved. The thought almost made her laugh. She had repeated it like a mantra the night before, trying to get rid of the blond, now she was trying to achieve the exact opposite.

Blake caught up to Yang and, with one final, symbolic step, moved up to her side. A quick glance at her partner's face confirmed that her response had been understood.

"Don't gloat. If you had just told me to move up, we could've been on our way back by now, relic in hand."

Yang laughed, her worries seemingly all but forgotten.

* * *

Jaune was looking at a rock. A very large rock. So large in fact, that it could be called a small mountain. Maybe more like a medium-sized cliff. Whatever it was called, it was tall, wide, and right in the way towards the north.

There was no end in sight in either direction. Walking around it might take hours, maybe days. He didn't relish the idea of climbing the smooth, almost vertical wall, either. They didn't have any rope or mountaineering equipment, not to mention, that he would have no clue on how to use it. No, surviving one impossible to survive fall was enough for a day.

Then again, the day's luck had been nothing to sneeze at so far. He had survived a drop that should have killed him. He had found a partner right away instead of stumbling through the forest for hours, alone and vulnerable. A very capable and nice partner that gave him a crash course in the aura-thingy without asking any uncomfortable questions.

He still had no idea how to use it or what it was exactly, but at least he had it now, and it had come in handy in reducing the number of scratches and rashes caused by the underbrush significantly. He had stumbled into a patch of nettles and come out without an itch in sight. That was pretty impressive.

Just to round things off, they had met no opposition, so far. Judging by the occasional volleys of gunfire that could be heard in the distance, people all around them kept running into grimm, but they had seen neither hide nor hair of any black beasties.

With his good track record in mind, it wasn't difficult for Jaune to come to a conclusion about the cave entrance that was conveniently located about ten feet from where they had happened upon the cliff.

It felt man-made. A smooth, almost perfectly round hole in the layered rock. To its right was a primitive depiction of people holding spears and bows while dancing around some sort of big insect. Primitive cultures in movies and stories always smeared stick figure's all over the place and worshiped some animal gods, didn't they? And the headmaster had said they were looking for a temple in the north.

"Think this is it?"

* * *

It had taken Blake some effort, but she had kept her position at Yang's side ever since their unexpected heart to heart. From a professional point of view, she didn't feel entirely comfortable giving up on their staggered formation, but Yang's good mood was more important, and she couldn't deny that she had become enamored by her partner's vision of equality. As far as anyone knew, she was human, and whatever preconceptions Yang may or may not hold towards the faunus played no part in their relationship.

Blake and Yang had reached the top of a small hill overlooking their destination. The forest hadn't quite reached the top of the hill, granting them a good overview of the valley stretching out in front of them. The far side of the hill was partly eroded, forming a steep drop of about thirty to forty feet. It led into a clearing in the otherwise densely forested valley that held the ruins of some circular structure.

The temple—as the headmaster had called it—loosely resembled Beacon's auditorium. A large circular stone floor was framed by the remnants of a wall mostly made of columns. The center was clear of rubble, hinting strongly towards the lack of a roof even in its heyday. The light gray stone was richly decorated in abstract carvings, partially eroded by time and the elements. The floor—easily the best-preserved part of the structure—was decorated in a repeating, concentric pattern of what reminded Blake of compass roses offset by forty-five degrees and getting bigger with each iteration. It must have been an impressive structure, once, before it was abandoned by its creators, broken by time, and reclaimed by nature.

"Think this is it?" Yang asked, casually looking down on the ruin.

Blake rolled her eyes. Whenever they had reached a heightened position, she had climbed a tree to get a better look at their surroundings. The Emerald Forest was supposed to be full of remnants of old civilizations that had eventually been driven off by the grimm and withdrawn to what became the Kingdom of Vale, but this was the only ruin she had spotted in a northward direction for miles.

While she was getting used to her partner's need to talk even when there was nothing worthwhile to talk about, her penchant for stating the obvious had to be discouraged.

Blake ignored Yang's expectant look and walked towards the edge. It wasn't a vertical drop, but it was steep and, with no vegetation to fortify it, their footing was bound to come loose the moment they stepped over the edge.

Blake smirked. The blond didn't want to be around a good little soldier that followed her commands. In an ironic twist, it was the last command of Yang's she would head unquestioned. Beware of what you wish for.

"Well?"

Yang, who had given up on waiting for an answer, caught up to her.

"Do you even have to ask?"

Blake smiled. As cryptic and unpredictable as her partner could be at times, it was good to know that her impression of the blond held true more often than not.

Without wasting any more time, Blake jumped over the edge and slid down the side of the hill with Yang hot on her heels.

* * *

The cave had not been a good idea. It was dark, damp, full of weird insects hiding in the shadows, and devoid of any signs of civilization.

Jaune wasn't ready to give up on it, though. It had been the first decision he had made since he had met Pyrrha—since this mess of a day had started, in fact—and he wasn't ready to admit defeat. Luck was on his side, after all.

"I'm not sure this is it," Pyrrha said.

His partner had been dropping vague hints about her doubts ever since they had arrived at the cave, but she hadn't once complained directly.

"Pyrrha, I made the torch," not that he was sure how he had managed to get it working so well, having never built one before, "could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?"

She didn't have to. Looking over his shoulder to talk to Pyrrha while moving ahead turned out to be a bad idea. He slipped on the wet stone floor and fell face first into a large puddle of stale water. The torch went out and the cave turned pitch black. Jaune's clothes were covered in slimy algae, which, as it turned out, had no potential of becoming the next big health craze if the taste was anything to go by.

He grumbled as he got up very carefully, making sure that he wouldn't take a second dip. Luck might have finally forsaken him…

"Do you feel that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Soul-crushing regret?"

"No, it's getting warmer."

* * *

Blake's heels clicked on the stone steps leading up to the temple. The central floor was slightly raised from the ground. Aside from the odd bushel of grass breaking through the seams of the large paving stones, it was in perfect order. Surprising, given the state of the columns surrounding it.

Twenty-odd stone pedestals were set in a half circle on the far end of the temple. One side held yellow, the other black statuettes. Blake walked towards the black side and took a closer look at one of the outermost pedestals.

"Chess pieces?"

Yang had walked over to the yellow, or rather white side.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first one's here."

As expected, despite starting out at the very top of the field, Yang's leisurely pace had cost them the front-runner position.

Blake let her gaze wander over the entire lineup. She had dabbled in chess before. Board games were often the only thing to do besides training and reading while she was stuck at a hideout in the middle of nowhere. She preferred to keep to herself and her books, but chess was one of the few games she could stand, mostly because the people who played it took it seriously and concentrated on the game, rather than inane chatter."

It didn't take an expert to notice that the lineup was off, though. There were pairs of all major pieces, including the king and queen, for both colors, but no pawns. That was an extra king and queen with half the pieces on the board missing.

Clearly, nobody was going to play a game of chess with the pieces present. Whatever meaning they might hold for their grades or team composition, it had to lie in the individual pieces, not the game as a whole. The mere idea of trying to figure out their headmaster's thought process made her head hurt, though, and there was little hope for Yang to be of any real help.

Blake furrowed her brows. Given Professor Ozpin's random and eccentric nature, the best possible strategy might just be the Yang strategy.

"Well, I guess we should just pick one."

* * *

Jaune was slowly stumbling along the cave wall, trying hard to forget all the creepy crawlies he had seen perched on the nooks and crannies along the wall before his torch had gone out. There was nothing in the darkness but slimy, wet walls devoid of life. As long as those slimy wet walls weren't poisonous, everything would be fine.

Truth be told, he was past ready to admit defeat. He might not have spelled it out, but, after he had fallen into the puddle, he had decided to turn around and take his chances climbing the wall, instead.

"Jaune?"

"Yes, Pyrrha?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe we should turn around and try something else?"

Jaune stopped in his tracks and turned to face Pyrrha, sort of. The darkness made even something as simple as facing his partner surprisingly difficult.

"We are on our way out, aren't we?"

"Ah, no. You got turned around when you lost the torch, and then you turned around again."

"So, we've been heading deeper into the cave ever since?"

"Yes."

Jaune laughed nervously. "Right, that was the plan. I mean, we've come this far, it would be a waste to give up already."

Stupid, stupid Jaune. Now he had no other choice but to move on. Unless Pyrrha decided otherwise. He gave his partner a couple of seconds to veto him, but she didn't. Apparently she was fine with just stumbling along in the dark. Great.

With the decision made, he soldiered on. The cave's wall started to take a sharp left turn. Without any light, he couldn't tell if it was a bend in the path or if they were entering a larger cavern. Either way, he was not going to let go off the wall. The wall was his lifeline to the outside, and letting it go was asking to get turned around again and completely lose track of direction.

He wasn't looking for the relic anymore, not that there was much to look for in total darkness. Mostly, he was wondering how long he would have to continue on before he could head back outside without looking like a complete idiot.

Just as he was about to declare their cave expedition concluded and turn them around, the wall he had been hugging vanished and some golden, bulbous… thing appeared in front of him, emitting a faint yellow glow.

He blinked once, twice, "That's the relic!" His luck hadn't left him, after all. Just in the nick of time.

He tried to grab it by the pointy bit at the bottom… and missed. Odd, but it was pitch black and his eyes were only just adjusting to the light emitted by the relic. He must have misjudged the distance.

He tried to grab it again… and it moved out of the way. Had to have been an optical illusion. Relics didn't move on their own.

"Bad relic!"

Not taking any more chances, he jumped it and grabbed it with both hands. This time, it didn't get away.

"Gotcha!" he said, hanging from the glowing bulb.

Wait, how could he be hanging from the relic?

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

The relic moved on its own, revealing two rows of glowing red dots. Jaune squinted his eyes, trying to make out what he was looking at. The dots were glued to something, like, a big rock, maybe? A big rock with red squiggles painted on it.

Right, a moving relic attached to a big, painted rock… that had just moved.

The rock hissed threateningly before it started to move some more, as did the floating relic whose very pointy lower bit was pointed right at him.

A terrified shriek brought the cave to life…

* * *

Blake watched her partner walk along the line of white pieces. The golden haired beauty, dressed in every shade of yellow and orange imaginable, was going to pick a yellow relic. Not much of a surprise there, but Blake was curious about which piece in particular she would choose and what her decision would be based on.

Yang came to a halt in front of the white knight. She had her fists on her hips and wore an unusually serious expression on her face. She knitted her brows, squinted her eyes into thin lines, and leaned over the piece with a contemplative hum.

Blake's curiosity spiked. She was either putting a lot of thought into her decision or about to chide the statue like a bad pet.

Whatever she had been up to, it came to an abrupt end. She swiped the white knight from its pedestal and turned towards Blake, holding it over her head like a trophy.

"How about a cute little pony?" she asked with a beaming smile.

Blake rolled her eyes. She should have know better. Yang chose the piece that appealed to her the most visually. She probably didn't even know the basic rules of chess, not to mention what roles the individual pieces played. Trying to read something into her choice based on the game had been a futile endeavor from the start.

"Sure," Blake said with a smirk. Yang's already exuberant mood improved even more at her partner's approval.

She might not have learned something based on chess, but the exercise did provide her with some information, mostly, that she found her partners sillier moods strangely appealing. She couldn't help but feel her own spirits lift seeing Yang's honest, beaming smile and the spark in her lilac eyes. She would need time to adjust to her partner, but it was moments like these, more so than seeing her decimate grimm with no effort, that made Blake feel like she had made the right choice.

They met up in the middle of the temple. Yang was holding their relic out in front of her for Blake to take a closer look. This time, it was Blake who got lost in thought, studying it. Seeing Yang with the golden pony had made her wonder which piece would have suited them most if they had based their decision on chess.

Yang was easy, especially with yellow being the choice of color for the white pieces: the white rook. The straight-forward protector. Powerful, steadfast, and capable of saving the king from danger.

The choice for Blake was almost as obvious: the black knight. The piece that could move without regard for its enemies and strike from an unexpected angle.

The golden pony wasn't such a bad symbol for their partnership, even if it was simply chosen because Yang liked the look of it.

Blake tore herself away from the piece and looked at her partner who took it as permission to put it away. Their relic vanished in the leather satchel Yang wore on her heavy belt.

"That wasn't so hard," she said with a satisfied smile.

"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find," Blake said, returning the smile.

All that remained was to walk back and find a way up the cliff. Neither of which should prove to be much of a problem for them.

Blake's ears perked up as a bone-chilling scream echoed through the forest. She had jinxed them…

* * *

Weiss was miserable. For the second time in a single day, her every sense was assaulted by merciless winds rushing past her. A Schnee, born and raised in Atlas's northern climate should be able to handle the cold, but there was a difference between a cold winter's day out in a nice warm coat and being stuck in a raging storm in a short skirt and a light summer jacket.

She was freezing, plain and simple. Her fingers were going numb, her nose and ears felt like they were going to fall off any second, and she could barely see anything but a blurry haze through teary eyes. Weiss was clinging on for dear life. Being miserable was an understatement, but it wasn't the worst part of her situation. No, by far the worst part was that she had no idea how she could have let things get out of hand to this extent.

That was not entirely true, either. She knew exactly how she had gotten herself into this mess. Ruby's constant complaining had gotten to her, and, in a moment of weakness, she had relinquished control over where they were headed.

What was that girl thinking anyways? Of course, Weiss had been lost. She had been brought up to become CEO of a massive, international company, not a girl scout. Ruby was supposed to try to find her way, fail just as miserably, and finally stop complaining. Instead, she had led them into this insanity!

Weiss had barely handed over the lead when the little girl disappeared in a shower of rose petals. She had just zipped away, leaving Weiss behind for a couple of minutes with no clue as to where she had gone or when she would be back. Leave it to her childish, hyperactive partner to be blessed with one of the most annoying semblances she could imagine.

Eventually, she had reappeared in another shower of rose petals. Instead of giving Weiss the satisfaction of being able to gloat, she had grabbed her arm and dragged her along at an inhuman speed. Any form of protest had proven futile.

Things had just gotten worse and worse from there. The sudden change in pace had brought on a slight bout of motion sickness, which was nothing compared to the sense of dread that had been evoked by what Weiss had found at their destination, though. Perched high upon a massive tree sat a black bird. It looked almost like a raven, were it not for the bone mask, the glowing red eyes, and the fact that it was of absolutely colossal size!

Being—as she was quickly coming to realize—the only sane person at Beacon, Weiss had inquired about their situation. The only answer forthcoming had turned out to be a smug smile. Another burst of speed later, she had found herself buried face first in between the monster's tail feathers.

The giant nevermore—as the species was called in her textbooks—had taken offense to the intruders and left its perch. Moments later, they had been soaring high up in the sky, devoid of escape routes, and very miserable.

"Ruby! I told you this was a terrible idea!" Weiss yelled as loud as she could to in order to compete with the background noise.

"I've heard you the first three times! We're fine! Stop worrying!"

Weiss wanted to strangle the little pest, but she couldn't afford to ease the iron grip she had on the beast's feathers for fear of getting blown away.

"I am so far beyond worrying!"

"In a good way?" Ruby asked, completely missing the sarcasm in Weiss's voice.

"In a bad way! In a very bad way!"

The idea was outright ludicrous. Sure, they were moving fast. Very fast. They were covering a lot more ground than they could have on foot, but they were high up on the sky, clinging to the back of a giant, winged grimm. A giant, winged grimm, they had absolutely no way of steering or landing.

"Well, why don't we just jump?"

"What? Are you insane?" Weiss asked.

She was in no need for a response from her partner to answer the question herself, but she had expected one. Ruby seemed to have an opinion on everything, and she had shown little hesitation in expressing it no matter how stupid or ridiculous it had turned out to be.

Weiss waited for a couple of seconds, hoping to avoid having to look directly into the wind.

"Ruby?"

She braced herself as well as she could and searched for her partner on the nevermore's back. The trademark red cape was nowhere to be seen.

Weiss's grip tightened in anger. "Oh, you insufferable little…"

* * *

Pyrrha was running, fast. She was running a lot faster than she had ever expected to have to run through a slippery cave in total darkness. But what choice did she have? A giant deathstalker was not an enemy to be faced at a disadvantage. It was not an enemy for a huntress-in-training to face on her own on her second day at Beacon at all, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

She slipped on a wet stone and stumbled. A minor setback, but enough for her pursuer to take a swing at her with its giant pincers. It missed, almost. Pyrrha could feel it glance off the round shield she kept on her back.

The huge scorpion-like grimm was getting too close for comfort. Rescuing Jaune would have to wait until she got out of the cave and had some room to maneuver. At least he was holding on steady. Turning around to check on her partner was not a luxury Pyrrha could afford, but the last time she had seen him he was dangling from the bulbous stinger. If his continued hysterical screams were anything to go by, his position hadn't changed.

The monster took another swing at her. This time, she felt it coming. It was even closer than before and forced her to drop into a roll hoping to avoid getting smashed into the wall. Back on her feet, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Literally, rather than figuratively, much to her relieve. The blow had missed and she was about to leave the deathstalker's domain behind.

The daylight seeping into the cave through the entrance allowed her to run faster and put some much-needed distance between her and her pursuer without the risk of a broken neck curtsy of the slippery cave floor. The effect on the deathstalker was the exact opposite, not because it shied away from the light, but because the cave had been steadily narrowing down towards the exit.

Pyrrha broke through the natural portal. Feeling the sunlight on her skin was a welcome change, but there was no time to get distracted. She put some distance between herself and the entrance before she turned around and unfolded _Miló_ from its sword into its spear form.

The small cave entrance acted as a muffler, casting an eerie silence over the scene. She wondered if she had gone too far. The deathstalker might have given up its pursuit and focused on Jaune, who was in no condition to face a grimm of that level by himself. She had to save her partner somehow, which meant going back inside. Suicidal, but the only option available.

Just as she was about to hurry back, the cave portal was shattered. Large pieces of rock were flung outward as the monstrous scorpion burst through. It brandished its giant pincers and let out a bone-chilling roar unlike anything Pyrrha would have expected from a scorpion. Jaune was still dangling from its stinger, frantically calling for help. Free of the confinements of the cave, Pyrrha could finally try and figure out a way to get both of them out of their predicament alive.

"Help! Pyrrha!" The deathstalker forcefully swung its tail back and forth, but Jaune managed to hold on. "Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!"

Pyrrha mentally chided herself. She had tried to help Jaune's self-confidence along by letting him lead and indulging the idea of exploring the cave, but it had backfired. She should have taken the warnings drawn at the entrance more seriously, but they had looked very old, and she had hoped that whatever danger lay waiting inside would have long since been dealt with by Beacon. She had been wrong.

"Pyrrha! Do something!"

Feeling bad wasn't helping anyone, though. Neither was getting herself killed trying to fight the beast singlehandedly. Jaune was clinging on to the tail, safely away from the stinger's pointy end, the horrible mandibles, and the massive pincers. Ironically, he was in a lot safer position than Pyrrha.

"Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let—" the deathstalker whipped its tail to the side with a lot more force than before and Jaune was thrown off into the distance, "go…"

Pyrrha looked on in dismay as Jaune disappeared into the forest. As long as he wouldn't break his neck on landing, he should be safe for the time being. She could get rid of the monstrous scorpion without worrying about her partner and catch up with him later.

The snapping of massive pincers brought her attention back to her opponent. The deathstalker towered over her. The bulbous stinger alone was the size of a person, the pincers even bigger. It bared its mandibles in a vicious hiss.

Pyrrha took a moment to consider her options and ran for her life.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Well, missed my Friday/Saturday release window once again, but Sunday is better than two months from now…

Anyways, once again some original Bumblebee material which I'm not entirely happy about. I like the first scene, but I did a poor job of putting it to paper. Unfortunately, it's not getting any better no matter how much I fiddle with it and at some point I just have to walk away and live with my failure…

Aside from that, the most notable thing is the Pyrrha PoV scene. Don't get used to it. As far as I can tell, that's a one time deal and my attempt to explain why Pyrrha went along with the cave thing. Because, let's be honest, it was horrendously stupid. I expect that from Jaune, but Pyrrha is a different matter and I felt like I had to either try and explain her behavior or find a different way to bring the deathstalker into the game.

I think it worked out, but I don't much enjoy writing from her PoV. True for all members of team JNPR unfortunately. I have literally no opinion on Ren either way. He's just there. I like Nora, but I can barely write her without writing Pinkie Pie. Trying to get into her head would only make things worse. Pyrrha was a necessity that likely won't happen again, and as far as Jaune is concerned, I don't like him. Never liked his character archetype anywhere I've seen it (which is a problem since it pops up in every other anime ever created), but writing for him is somewhat amusing, at least.

Still, don't get too attached to him, as his role (and JNPR's as a whole) will diminish somewhat as soon as canon doesn't demand their presence anymore. On the upside, another canon Beacon team might pop up a bit early to pick up the slack…

Now, with that out of the way and, as far as I can tell, no way to post a public reply to reviews/comments on ffnet (seriously, who thought that that would be a good idea?), there is one topic I should bring up. An earlier draft of my _Front Matter_ actually talked about this briefly, but for some reason, I cut it. Don't ask me why…

 _About White Rose_

In short, there are currently no plans of having any romantic relationships based around Ruby or Weiss, with each other or any other character.

Skip to the bottom if you want to avoid a long and, most likely, pointless rant and read the last paragraph for the slightly more detailed explanation to my plans. Read on at your own peril…

Now, before all the White Rose shippers scream bloody murder or, worse, run for the hills, hear me out.

I'm not saying, that I'm opposed to the idea of a White Rose romance, nor that I'm actively avoiding it, I just don't see it happening, yet.

I don't generally look for or write for pairings, that don't jump out at when watching the show in question.

Bumblebee jumped out at me pretty much from the sleepover scene in the ballroom. They have the maturity and the chemistry to make it work. In fact, I would argue, that Sun is nothing more than a boring, bland, unlikable, and annoying male version of Yang, whose sole existence is based on the original author wanting a shoo-in romance option for Blake that was Yang, but a faunus and not a woman. Because, you know, a 90s Hollywood movie bringing the token black guy and the token black girl together, no matter what, isn't racist at all. And yes, they are the only two faunus characters in the show. The next tier are Velvet, the librarian guy that dies, and faceless goons, each with about two lines over three seasons. They don't count.

Pretty sure I've ranted about this before, but yes, I have many issues with Sun (whom I easily consider the worst character in the lineup as of _Volume Three_ ) only some of which are based on my love for Bumblebee. Seriously though, RT, just get rid of him and make Bumblebee a thing. Two great characters with chemistry that need more screen time and a nod towards both homosexual and interracial relationships in one go, what's not to love? And isn't the whole overcoming racism/prejudice thing supposed to be a theme of the show to begin with?

Seriously getting off topic here, though. Other examples that jumped out at me were Korra/Asami from _Legend of Korra_ (that one even went canon in, like, the last 30 seconds of the show… ok, to be fair, there was a lot of foreshadowing from season three onwards…), Raven/Jinx from _Teen Titans_ , Emma/Regina from _Once Upon a Time_ , Marcelina/Bonnibel from _Adventure Time_ , and, just to prove that I'm not actually going out of my way looking for lesbian couples, Tom/B'Elanna from _Star Trek: Voyager_. Considering, that I don't like _Voyager_ or _Star Trek_ in general, that's quite a feat…

And of course, there is the grand daddy, the ultimate pairing, the one reason I got into fan fiction to begin with: Kim/Shego from _Kim Possible_. Seriously, without an afternoon of boredom some three years ago, me randomly remembering that _Kim Possible_ was a show a decade or so ago, and Kim and Shego quite literally popping out at me in the very first episode, this story and hundreds of thousands, as of yet, unreleased words of fiction would not exist. I highly recommend it and just about any piece of Kigo fiction one can find, because one can never have too much Kigo!

Now, this might seem excessive, but hopefully, I've found an example or two for everyone to follow my thought process without having to explain it in detail, because I can't, exactly.

Pairings that work, that have chemistry, and that I'm interested in usually just get stuck in my head very early on and never go away again, which is the reason why I usually don't read any Lady Bug, Freezerburn, or Checkmate stories. I like my fictional characters to be faithful… Yeah, I'm weird that way.

As far as White Rose is concerned, they just haven't popped out at me yet (as of the end of _Volume Three_ ). Not romantically at least. I love both of the characters and I love their struggle to get along, to become partners, to become friends, and, maybe, somewhere down the line, to become more. But they aren't there yet, though. Not just with each other, but with romance in general.

Ruby is fifteen. Old enough in theory, but she's mentally still very childlike and I don't feel like she's ready for or interested in romance, yet. She's also very focused on fighting monsters, being a hero, and just finding friends in general. Not to mention the monkey wrench that was _Volume Three_ and shit hitting the fan all over.

Weiss, while technically more mature (although, there are moments that make me doubt that assessment) also doesn't feel quite ready yet. She's very driven about the whole becoming the best huntress thing and it feels like she has quite a lot on her plate transitioning from lonely princess in a tower to ordinary teenager.

"But what about Neptune?" you ask. Well, he's part of the transitioning process. An innocent and, most likely, inconsequential school-girl crush I may or may not use to flesh out her character a bit. Not much is decided yet for _Volume Two_ and beyond.

It is, however, as far as I would be comfortable going with her, at least up to _Volume Twoish_. But I wouldn't do that to a pairing that is as beloved as White Rose. If I do White Rose, I will try to treat it as seriously as Bumblebee.

Besides, I don't think Ruby is the person for Weiss to have a first crush on. Neptune (who is quite low on the list of characters I care about) is pretty much tailor-made for that. Unlike Sun, he isn't just an inferior and pointless clone of an already existing character (although, Jaune is a bit too close a match in many regards), which is why I'm more lenient towards him.

 _TL;DR: White Rose may or may not happen in the future. Ruby/XXX or Weiss/XXX may or may not happen in the future. I do not plan on experimenting with any weird/unusual pairings, though, and would rather focus on building their platonic relationship for the foreseeable future. This story is planned and written around the canon story line and Bumblebee. Everything else is just going along for the ride and will fall into place when it's ready. Whenever that will be._

That is all.


	9. Reunion

**Reunion**

To say that Yang was happy, was an understatement. Ever since their talk, Blake had become a lot more assertive. There had been no more scurrying around behind Yang's back, and she had even taken the lead once or twice. Blake would probably deny it, but the look on her face as they had slid down the hill towards the temple had given her away: She had even had fun for a second or two.

Yang had been worried that she might have said too much, but it seemed to have done the trick. Now, with a relic in hand, all that remained was a leisurely walk back through the forest. Not exciting by itself, but it was some more quality time with her partner before they would have to deal with the rest of their classmates again.

Yang was just about to suggest that they set out when a bone-chilling scream echoed through the forest. She turned in its direction and was surprised to find that it had come from the north-east. There shouldn't be anyone but their classmates in the forest and they shouldn't be out in that direction. Someone must have shot well past the ruins and gotten themselves into some trouble.

"Blake, did you hear that?"

Her partner didn't answer. Yang turned around with a frown. She had thought that Blake was slowly breaking away from her silent act, but she might have been mistaken. What she found was as curious as the scream itself. Blake was focused on the sky, her face marred by confusion.

"Blake?"

Instead of giving an answer, her partner's gaze dipped down for a moment seeking eye contact before she looked back up and pointed skywards.

Yang finally took the hint. A red-and-black speck was dropping like a stone from the sky. Yang blinked in disbelieve, once, twice, but there was no doubt about it: Her little sister was falling from the sky and, by the looks of it, it wasn't much of a controlled fall. Her arms were flailing wildly, and a faint and drawn out "Heads up!" could be heard.

The situation put Yang in a bit of a quandary. The surrogate mother in her wanted to rush in and save Ruby from the fall, but the big sister in her knew that Ruby could save herself and shouldn't be coddled too much.

The closer Ruby came to the ground, the stronger Yang's protective side became. Especially, since Ruby showed absolutely no sign of having any plan aside from stopping her fall by colliding face first with the ground. It shouldn't kill her, but she was nowhere near as sturdy as her older sister and might get seriously hurt in the process.

Yang was just about to spring into action when a second, very familiar sounding, scream caught her attention. Another figure popped into her field of vision and collided with Ruby midair. Both were thrown off course and crashed into the dense foliage of the nearby trees.

"What the…"

* * *

Ruby's head was hurting. Ruby was hurting, all over. That much she was sure about. Everything beyond that was a different matter.

There was the vague sensation of falling, or rather of having fallen, but now she was sitting on something hard so she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

Her vision was blurry, and she had trouble keeping herself upright. Was she upright? She wasn't sure, but it felt like she was leaning against something so she had to be.

She squinted her eyes, and things started to come back into focus. There was a lot of green and brown. Leaves. Branches. Right, she had crashed into a tree. But she had been on her way down headed straight for some ruins, not the forest.

She tried to sit up straight with some success before a dull pain in her left side stopped her. It felt like she had run into one of Yang's punches, but she was fairly certain that her sister hadn't been in the air with her.

Ruby shook her head, hoping to clear it up further. It helped to stave off the dizziness, but her headache thrived on it. She groaned.

Something had collided with her mid-air. She remembered now. She had jumped from the nevermore she had been riding on. It might not have been the best idea she had ever had, but she hadn't been able to take Weiss's nagging anymore.

When she had spotted some ruins right below her, she couldn't believe her luck. Not only had the nevermore randomly flown her in the right direction, she had also gotten fed up with Weiss at the exact right moment.

Then she had spotted Yang's golden locks and knew that she had found their target only to be shot out of the air by… something.

"What was that?" she groaned.

Somebody close to her cleared their throat. The voice sounded familiar, but Ruby's brain wasn't back in full working order, yet. She looked up and squinted again. An upside-down figure slowly came into view.

"Hey, Ruby," it said casually.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby said as she leaned back with a sigh.

It wasn't the smoothest of landings, but it was better than her improvised plan had been, which included mostly crashing into the ground and hoping for the best. A straight drop with no trees or anything to grab on to on her way down hadn't left her with many options.

Jaune, however he had managed to do so, had done her a favor. Aura shielding or not, Ruby couldn't just smash a crater into the ground, dust off her clothes, and walk away with a laugh.

Yet another thing to be envious of…

* * *

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked, showing a surprising lack of inflection given the situation.

"Yes…"

Yang was just about to check on Ruby when she heard a muffled explosion from the other end of the clearing. It was followed by the sound of something breaking through the underbrush. Yang put a hand on her hip and watched the rustling trees with a raised eyebrow. Usually, she would welcome the stray grimm or two to liven up her day, but there was a sister in need of attention, and Yang was in no mood to play.

Luckily, the intruder didn't keep her waiting for long. A lone ursa burst out of the underbrush. An annoyance at best, but it would have to be dealt with.

It stumbled forward, roaring and wildly flailing its arms. Something wasn't right. Ursi weren't the frantic sort. They were powerful but sluggish, and they only moved when they had to.

A cloud of pink smoke and lightning exploded from its back with a loud "Yeehaw!" before it fell over. A small, orange-haired figure was thrown clear. She landed in a roll and got back up like a spring.

Yang recognized the girl. Nora—according to Blake—was followed by a boy in a green tunic who emerged from the path of destruction the raging ursa had caused.

Nora turned around and tapped the grimm's head with the tip of her boot. "Aw, it's broken…"

Her companion had caught up with her just as she was inspecting her fallen playmate. He leaned on one of the large bone spikes jutting out of the bear, panting heavily.

"Nora! Please, don't ever do that again."

Nora ignored him and came running towards the temple.

"Did that girl just ride in on an ursa?" Blake had crossed her arms in front of her. Her body language all but screamed disapproval for Nora's actions.

Yang grumbled. The sudden influx of craziness around her made things more interesting, and there was a lot of work to be done yet to make Blake lighten up a bit, but she was more concerned with Ruby's well-being than with riding ursi, no matter how much fun it looked like it might be.

Nora skipped into the forest temple and came to a dead stop in front of the statue of a yellow tower. She leaned down in wide-eyed, child-like wonder and snatched it from its pedestal. She broke into a happy dance, striking all kinds of weird poses featuring the statue, accompanied by an improvised sing-song of "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

Yang watched, baffled. She knew that some people considered her random and unfocused—personally, she thought that she couldn't hold a candle to Ruby in that regard—but Nora topped them both, easily.

"Nora!" Ren chided her as he walked up to the ruins still catching his breath.

Nora froze with the statue perched precariously on her head. "Coming, Ren!" She jumped over the pedestal in front of her and skipped back towards her partner.

Yang had enough of this nonsense, and—judging by the look on her face—so had Blake. There was a little sister waiting to be checked on.

* * *

A number of frantic roars caught Ruby's attention. She perked up on her branch and pushed some leaves out of her way. Down in the clearing lay a fallen ursa, getting prodded by the orange-haired girl she had seen in the locker room that morning. Ruby frowned. She couldn't remember seeing anyone with her sister while she had been falling. Could she be Yang's partner? Time to investigate!

She jumped down from the tree and ran towards the ruins. Jaune, still stuck in the tree upside-down, had slipped her mind completely, and any attempt of his to draw her attention remained unanswered.

The ruins came into view and Ruby spotted the orange-haired girl doing some sort of happy dance. The melody was catchy, and Ruby thought about chiming in, but the jig came to an end at the request of the boy that had been with the girl in the morning. That had to be her partner then.

Ruby spotted what she had been looking for on the other side of the ruins. There stood a yellow ball of hair next to a monochrome figure, both watching the pink girl with a frown on their faces. Ruby sighed. Yang had gone after Blake and gotten exactly what she wanted while Ruby was stuck with the Ice Queen. Fantastic…

She closed in on her sister, waving. "Yang!"

Both Yang and Blake noticed and turned in her direction.

"Ruby!" her sister chirped happily and raised her arms in a very familiar motion.

Ordinarily, Ruby would complain about Yang's overbearing displays of affection in public—she wasn't a little girl anymore, after all—but, after the day she'd had, a good hug didn't sound like such a bad thing.

She jumped into her sister's arms who twirled her around once before putting her back down.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ruby said, wondering if Yang would ever stop worrying about every little scrape.

Ruby looked at Blake, who was standing a step or two farther back than she had to, almost as if to say that the meeting had nothing to do with her. She was watching them carefully, though. Could she be waiting for an invitation to join in?

Ruby smiled at Blake. "Hello again."

Blake nodded. "Hey."

"So, the two of you are partners?"

"Are we ever!" Yang said with a wide smile "You should have seen us on the way here, kicking ass and taking names like nobody's business!"

Of course, they were. It was hard to imagine Yang doing anything less.

"Congratulations…"

Ruby had tried to sound genuinely cheerful, but Yang wasn't biting. She looked at her little sister with a worried expression.

"Ruby, where's your partner? You do have a partner, don't you?"

"Of course I have!" Ruby snapped.

"It's not Vomit Boy, is it?"

"No, it's not Jaune."

A sigh of relief escaped Yang. Ruby hadn't expected her sister to be happy about the thought of having Jaune as a partner, but she didn't have to be that obvious about it. He was the closest thing to a friend she had at Beacon after all.

"He's a nice guy, you know."

"That doesn't mean he belongs here or that I'd like the idea of my sister having to rely on someone so… wimpy."

"Well, we can't all get what we want, can we?"

Yang cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "Ruby, who is your partner?"

"Weiss," Ruby mumbled under her breath.

"Wh—"

"Weiss Schnee?" Blake gasped.

Ruby and Yang's heads snapped in her direction. Blake's serious and emotionless mask returned in a heartbeat.

Ruby was reminded of the encounter at the airship docks the day before. At the time, she had been glad to have an ally and had put no further thought into the matter, but this was the second time Blake had reacted strongly to Weiss, and she had broken up their gathering the night before very quickly after Weiss had shown up. Was it just a coincidence or did they have a backstory with each other?

"Oh!" Yang interfered before she could ask Blake about it, "already ditched her, eh?"

"No! I mean, well, not exactly… And even if I had, she would have deserved it!"

"Yikes! I was just joking. You didn't go after her just because you didn't know anyone else, did you?"

Ruby studied her sisters face closely. There was a hint of guilt hidden below her jovial manner. Good, she deserved it for trying to avoid her and rubbing Blake in her face without wondering how she had fared after the only two people she might have been interested in were off limits.

"I didn't choose her at all. I just… sort of almost crashed into her, again." Ruby's aggressive tone was quickly replaced by resignation. "I was running along, thinking about partners and stuff, when I jumped a bush and she was just standing there. I stopped, she looked at me, and walked away without a word."

"She left you to make your way here all by yourself?"

"No, she came back right after she ran into Jaune hanging from a tree—don't ask!" Yang's comment died in her throat. "I really tried to get along with her. There was a speech about what a great partner I would make. It didn't work. Then we got attacked by a pack of beowolves and I tried to show her, but we ended up setting the forest on fire and running away."

"Oh, they were yours then."

"What?"

"We smoked a pack of half-done beowolves on the way here."

Ruby and Blake groaned in unison. There weren't many things Yang was bad at. Puns were one of them.

"I bet you didn't stumble over each other's feet so much you almost got yourselves killed."

"Are you kidding?" Yang asked. "Blake cut them down so fast I could barely keep up."

"Which had more to do with your single-minded interest in the alpha than with my skill."

Yang laughed and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment while a surprising smirk grazed Blake's face.

Ruby knew it was petty, but the scene annoyed her. Her sister and her partner weren't just getting along in a fight, they were already bantering and joking with each other like old friends while all she and Weiss had done was bicker and fight.

"Good for you. We almost died. Then we got lost. And I mean really, really lost. Little miss perfect probably never set a foot out of her palace before, but she insisted on leading the way anyways."

"That bad?" Yang asked.

"Worse!"

"And that's when you ditched her."

"No, I mostly watched her walk back and forth talking to herself. But she did give up eventually and let me lead. She would be here if she'd jumped when I told her to."

"Jumped from where exactly?"

Ruby looked up. As if on command, a large black shadow had appeared in the sky.

"Uh," she pointed towards the new arrival, "there."

"That's a—"

"Nevermore." Ruby finished.

"A big one."

"It's a lot bigger close-up."

"And the white rag hanging from its claw…"

"Weiss."

Blake cleared her throat. "There won't be any actually dangerous grimm out here."

Ruby looked at her. Blake had done a half-decent job of imitating Yang, but hearing her sister's over-expressive speech patterns from her usually subdued partner was more than a little jarring.

Yang laughed nervously. "You remember that, huh?"

"It was part of a memorable conversation."

Ruby watched the two girls share a knowing smile. It was so not fair how well those two got along already.

A faint "How could you leave me?" drew her attention away from her sister's fortune.

"I said 'jump!'" Ruby yelled back at her partner. It wasn't like there was anything else she could do, after all.

"Look on the bright side," Yang said with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, "she's missing you already!"

Ruby crossed her arms in front of her and frowned. "So not funny."

"She's gonna fall," Blake said with all the emotion of a news anchor.

"She'll be fine," Ruby said with a huff, refusing to look up.

"No, she's falling," Yang said.

Ruby wasn't quite sure what to make of Yang's happy tone. Her sister hadn't exactly warmed up to Weiss, but she was her partner, and she felt an obligation to look out for her even if they didn't get along. Then again, Yang was her sister…

She sighed and let it slide. Weiss was closing in fast and she would bring along enough reasons to quarrel all by herself.

* * *

Trees. Hanging from trees. It wasn't such a bad experience once one got used to it. Maybe there was some value in it for recreation. Like, a ride in a fair for people with motion sickness. Instead of getting on a rickety roller-coaster just waiting to derail and being sent to a terrifying death, one could hang in a tree for a couple of minutes and relax far from the stress and responsibilities of modern life.

Preliminary tests showed that it worked. Jaune had been quite stressed hanging from that giant scorpion's tail. Being flung through the air for a second time; also very stressful. Crashing into Ruby and a tree; more painful than stressful. Getting stuck hanging upside-down; disorienting, somewhat stressful, but, after a while, one forgets the precarious situation one is in and just enjoys the freedom of dangling in the wind.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Ruby had abandoned him without helping him down. Somewhat annoying and stressful, but the relaxing tree treatment—he might have to work on the name—was a full-on success. The groundies had to deal with wild roars and explosions while all the danglers had to do was dangle.

Thing's had quieted down a while ago, and, while dangling started to appeal to him more and more, he had chosen a very inopportune place to do so. If his tree was somewhere in Vale and he had the opportunity to turn around now and then to stop the blood from rushing to his head, he could see himself dangling for hours.

But he wasn't dangling in Vale. He was dangling in the Emerald Forest, and if he wouldn't get down soon, he might get left behind. No amount of dangling could make up for the stress of being stuck alone in the grimm infested wilderness would cause. Especially once it got all dark and spooky.

Jaune wasn't sure who was around, but some of his classmates were in the vicinity. He had seen Ruby, and someone else had caused a stir. Pyrrha, hopefully, was among them—without the scorpion. He really hoped she would be. She was his partner, after all, and he couldn't just abandon her, could he? She was Pyrrha, and if there was one person among their classmates who would be fine by themselves the something-or-other-times champion of whatever tournament it was would be it.

He groaned. Either way, he had to get down first, preferably without breaking his neck in yet another dead drop.

Jaune tried to wriggle free his legs, but they were stuck.

"Stupid branches…"

He started plucking away at leaves and smaller branches with little effect. It couldn't be helped. With every failed attempt to yank free his legs, he got bolder. The looming abyss below him slipped his mind until the resistance disappeared, and he dropped with a surprised yelp. The split-second he had to comprehend his misfortune was spent with thoughts of how much nicer dangling was compared to falling.

The thought was quickly replaced by a dull pain as his head hit the branch Ruby had landed on. His arms and legs grasped for it instinctively, and, before he knew it, he was dangling once again. Only this time, it was far less relaxing. He made another mental note for his ride: provide dangling harnesses for safety.

Having to hold on by his own strength was stressful and uncomfortable, and it wouldn't last for long. He could already feel his hands slipping. There were only two options: drop and hope for the best—not his favorite—or try to get on top of the branch and find a less painful way down.

Some muttered curses and painful groans later, he had managed to make his way topside.

"Right, Jaune," he told himself, "now what?"

The ground had come about six feet closer. It was a start, but not enough. He couldn't see what was going on down below and he didn't want to just cry for help and wait to get rescued again. He was supposed to be the knight in his story, not the damsel in distress.

"How could you leave me!"

Jaune perked up. It was faint, but he was sure that the voice belonged to his counterpart in the starring role. He peeked through the foliage and, much to his surprise, found his Snow Angel high up in the sky clinging to… something really big and decidedly grimm-looking.

He was about to curse his luck when the monster passed by over his tree—even if he could have gotten up there, there was no way he could fight something that huge—when he realized that Weiss had lost her grip and was coming down within his reach.

His moment of glory hat finally arrived. Jaune was perched on his branch, ready to jump. The fall still scared him, but heroes had to take chances. And, thanks to Pyrrha, he had that aura-thingy now, which should protect him.

He could see it already: Jaune Jr. and the little Snowflake sitting around a roaring fire in the castle mansion he would build from the money earned by selling dangling rides and matching dangling harnesses all over Remnant listening, on the edge of their seats, to the story of how he rescued their Mother from falling to her death by a heroic leap of faith.

It was now or never! Jaune dived off his branch and met his falling Snow Angel with his arms spread wide. Time seemed to slow down, and, almost like a hint from the universe itself, she landed in his arms in a perfect bridal carry.

Weiss was stunned in confusion, but Jaune was not deterred. He put on his best smarmy smile. "Just dropping in?

The moment was perfect. The hero had come to save the day and did so in a dashing way that would make every adventure story proud.

He kept his confident smile and was waiting for Weiss to show any reaction. She looked down. Jaune's eyes followed, and he realized what he had done. Time hadn't slowed down, and they were plunging fast towards the ground with no plan in mind to save the day.

"Oh god," he mumbled as his bridal carry broke up and they tumbled downwards, two distinctive entities once again.

Jaune belly-flopped into the grass with a loud thud. His force-field was not up to the task. At least not entirely. He was alive, but he was hurting all over. There might be some broken bones if he was unlucky. Bruises were a guarantee.

Still, being alive beat the alternative, or so he thought. A moment later, he wished he could take it back. Something heavy plunged right into the small of his back with unbelievable force. A pained yelp escaped him and he was convinced that his spine had been snapped in half. It would be just his luck to get paralyzed out in a monster-infested wilderness devoid of modern medicine.

"My hero," the heavy object he could now identify as Weiss said, sarcastically.

"My back," Jaune groaned. The tale of their adventures would need a lot of embellishing before it was ready for the little ones…

* * *

"Well, they seem to be okay," Yang said in complete disregard of Jaune's state.

"Yang!" Ruby chided her.

"What? He fell out of a tree. If he can't take that much he should never have come along."

Yang meant it too. Nice or not, he was a danger to everyone around him if he couldn't take care of himself.

"Either way, we should check if he's injured and see if we can find his partner," Blake said.

Any further discussion was cut short when a shrill roar echoed through the forest. It was different from the snarling growls of a beowolf, the full-bodied roars of an ursa, or the bird-like shriek of the nevermore. It was something, Yang had never heared before.

The sound of falling trees and rustling leaves was interspersed with hissing and clacking noises. Whatever was causing the commotion had to be big.

A red-and-bronze-colored figure burst out of the underbrush in a dead run. Pyrrha? Any hope of finding the time to have a quick bout with the famous champion away from prying eyes and heavy-handed rulebooks was lost when the edge of the forest exploded outwards. Two massive pairs of pincers had ripped a gaping hole through trees and bushes alike before eight armored legs trampled the greenery into splinters.

A giant deathstalker. Yang had heard about them, but never gotten anywhere near one in the flesh. The challenge it would pose made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in excitement.

Pyrrha seemed less happy about her discovery. The deathstalker was hot on her heels, swiping pincers left and right in hopes of catching her.

Yang watched with interest. Someone with Pyrrha's reputation shouldn't be in too much of a danger despite the size of the scorpion, and the situation provided her with an interesting glimpse into the champion's abilities, which would become relevant soon enough if Yang got her way.

Pyrrha was good. Nimble, fast, and seemingly impossible to shake mentally. Her face was serious and set in heavy concentration without a hint of fear or worry even as she had to avoid the swipe of a pincer the size of a small dust-car by jumping through the open end or when the follow-up blow graced her hair as she rolled under it. The girl might more than deserve her reputation, which made Yang look forward to squaring off with her even more.

"Did that girl just run all the way here with a deathstalker on her tail?" Blake asked.

Yang tore herself away from the spectacle in the clearing and mustered Blake from the corner of her eyes. Perfectly straight face, not a hint of emotion betrayed by her voice. Spoken, not like someone who might be next on the menu, but like a distant onlooker in perfect safety.

Yang smirked. Whatever her insecurities in dealing with people, her partner was tough as nails in the field.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled.

"Jaune!"

So, the champion got stuck with the buffoon. At least she can handle herself.

Unfortunately, the short moment of distraction was enough for the deathstalker to get lucky. Pyrrha tried to dive out of the way of the sweeping pincers, but she was too late. The huge, armor-covered extremity swiped her most of the way across the clearing.

Pyrrha wouldn't be much of a champion if that was enough to bring her down, though. She caught herself mid-flight, landed in a roll, and knelt poised with her sword ready to strike.

The deathstalker hesitated and brandished his arsenal of oversized stinger, pincers, mandibles and pointy feet as thick as tree trunks. With Pyrrha out of its immediate range, there were a lot of viable targets around the area. It must be confused as to which it should go for first, but there was no doubt that it would come for all of them or die trying.

"Great! The gang's all here. Now we can die together!" Yang said, jokingly.

Unfortunately, Ruby took it a bit too seriously. "Not if I can help it!"

Yang tried to grab on to her, but all she got was a hand full of dissolving rose petals left in Ruby's wake.

"Ruby, wait!"

Damn that speed semblance!

* * *

First a giant nevermore, now a giant deathstalker. Yang's assessment of the dangers they would have to face during their initiation had been woefully mistaken. Not that Blake could complain. she had agreed with her partner, after all.

Their situation posed a serious problem. One grimm that size on their tails was bad, two of them at the same time might spell disaster. There were eight of them against two grimm, but they barely knew each other or their respective fighting styles and skill levels.

Improvising a competent strategy with two people was difficult, with eight it would end just like Ruby's misadventures with Weiss. They would get into each other's way and present easy targets.

Split up and run, blend into the forest and leave the pursuers behind. That was what they should be doing, but Blake could already tell that it wasn't going to happen. Not with a certain pair of sisters in the mix. Yang's impulsiveness and overconfidence seemed to run in the family. There was no other explanation for Ruby charging off, all by herself, without a moment's hesitation.

She was fast. Faster than she should be. A speed based semblance. A red aura, matching her cape that broke off into rose petals. While most people's aura manifested as nothing but a faint glow surrounding them, in some rare cases, they took more complex shapes. Blake's was one of them, manifesting as a sort of shadowy smoke that had inspired her insignia. So was Ruby's by the looks of it.

It was no time to analyze the minutia of her classmate's aura, though. Yang's hesitation and the worry in her voice as she called out after her sister bothered Blake. It had nothing to do with the appearance of the deathstalker itself. That much Blake was certain about. She had caught a glimpse of her partner after it had appeared, and the blond brawler had looked like she had just gotten the best present in the world.

Wanting to face the beast herself and seeing her little sister charge headlong into danger were two entirely different things, though. Much to her surprise, Blake shared the sentiment, but Yang knew better than anyone what her sister was capable of. It was one of those instances, where she would leave the lead to her partner, no matter if she liked it or not.

Ruby had made it most of the way towards the scorpion-like grimm in the blink of an eye. _Crescent Rose_ —the small girl's massive scythe—was drawn and at her ready. She broke her superhuman sprint by firing a bullet from the built-in rifle, launching herself straight at the grimm.

High recoil weapons used for movement. They might not look much like sisters, but there were undeniable similarities in their gestures and fighting styles that removed any doubts about their claim. One such similarity, unfortunately, was a very straight forward attitude to combat. Ruby had put no thought into her attack beyond hitting her target. A strategy that might work against a beowolf, even an ursa with a bit of luck given the heft of her over-sized weapon, but a deathstalker of that size was a heavily armored tank.

The massive grimm showed little concern for the approaching huntress-in-training. Ruby's weapon connected with a pair of pincers and glanced off with no effect.

The girl was swatted out of the air like an annoying insect and landed on all fours. She was back on her feet in no time, showing no visible signs of injuries, but the stagger in her step was unmistakable.

"Damn it!" Yang growled as she charged towards her sister.

"Don't worry! Totally fine," Ruby stammered.

She wasn't, and the deathstalker was still focused on her.

Blake had hoped that Ruby would dash out of the grimm's reach as fast as she had moved in, but the blow must have rattled her brain enough to keep her from using her semblance. Not much of a surprise. Sustained powers like hers usually required a lot of concentration.

There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Blake was a couple of steps behind her partner. Fight or flight. The decision had been made. At least for the time being. Once they got Ruby out of harm's way, they could still make their exit.

As if. Once in the thick of it, she would bet every book in her collection that Yang would go for it herself.

The deathstalker loomed over Ruby, snapping its pincers and mandibles. She shot the monster's head, but her bullet grazed off the heavy armor plates with barely a scratch. The weapon's recoil gave her enough of a boost to jump out of the grimm's range and start running, though.

Good, very good. If she got away far enough before they met, Yang might still be open for a hasty retreat.

Blake's ears perked up. There was some noise in the background. It sounded like… wings flapping! In the heat of the moment, she had forgotten all about the nevermore circling the area. It was headed right for them.

Blake had expected it to dive for them like some nightmarish bird of prey, instead, it stalled midair and, with a flap of both wings, sent a barrage of feathers at them like darts.

"Yang! Watch out!"

The black projectiles were raining down over a large area, starting at Ruby's end and making their way towards them. The unlucky—or lucky depending on how one looked at it—girl was pinned through her cape and yanked down violently as she reached the end of her tether.

Blake and Yang were by no means safe from the attack. One of the feathers went straight through Blake's chest and buried itself two feet into the ground. The clone she had left behind as she had flung herself out of harms way dissolved into black smoke, revealing the true size of the creature they were facing. The quill was as thick as her neck and it stood twice as tall as her despite being buried into the ground. Aura shield or not, there would be no getting back up after being hit by one of them.

Yang didn't seem to share her concerns. Blake watched in horror as her partner was about to be speared through her side. Instead of doing the sensible thing and dodge the projectile, she raised her arm and swiped the feather off its course. The quill collided with _Ember Celica_ and shattered. A cloud of splinters and barbs engulfed Yang, but she didn't miss a step.

Blake's time to marvel at her partner's abilities was cut short when another feather almost ran her through. She flung herself back with another shadow clone and flipped out of the nevermore's death zone to regroup.

Fortunately, the feathery barrage didn't last for very long. The nevermore had to work to stay airborne like any other bird and was off to circle the area once again. It would be back soon enough, but, for the time being, it was down to them and the deathstalker, which was closing in on a pinned Ruby.

Blake jumped back into the maze of feathers. Going the long way around was not an option if she wanted to have any chance of reaching Ruby before she ended up on the wrong end of a massive stinger. Yang was further up ahead, but even she was cutting it close.

Too close, in fact. The deathstalker was mere feet away from Ruby and about spear her any moment while she, like her elder sister, was defying common sense by trying to pull the feather that had her pinned her from the ground. All she had to do was cut the cape and run. Was she trying to get herself killed?

Out of thin air, a glowing, white circle appeared in front of Yang. It looked like something out of a fantasy novel marking a spell being cast. The design certainly matched the intricate nature of lines and arcane symbols often depicted, but, at the same time, it was very familiar. In the center of several circles adorned with indecipherable runes sat a stylized snowflake.

"Jump through the rune!"

Yang didn't hesitate or question Weiss. She fired _Ember Celica_ at the ground to her feet and went right through the center of the glowing circle. The moment she came in contact with it, she was flung forward with a surprised yelp. She was tumbling uncontrollably at first, but, as expected from someone who had integrated that particular way of movement into her core arsenal, recovered quickly.

The deathstalker had wound up its tail, ready to strike at a distracted Ruby. Blake was hanging on by the skin of her teeth. It didn't look like Yang would make it in time to grab Ruby and get her out of the way.

When _Ember Celica's_ barrels flared up again to adjust the direction Weiss had set for her and add another boost of speed, Blake realized that Yang had no intention of dragging Ruby to safety.

"Yang! Don't!" she yelled, but it was too late.

The deathstalker's tail shot forward to impale Ruby, but it never reached her. Instead, it collided mid-air with Yang, who won the contest of strength between her and the massive, golden stinger. She had grabbed on to it with both arms—the tip exposing the deadly venom to the world buried somewhere around her abdomen—and was flung over the grimm, dragging its tail along.

A surprised hiss escaped the massive creature as it was yanked back a couple of steps.

Yang landed with enormous force. Her heavy boots dug deep into the soft topsoil only to be pushed in even further as she hoisted her capture over her shoulder.

It took Blake a moment to make sense of her actions. What point was there in a tug of war with a grimm that size? Keeping it from Ruby for a short while? Dragging it away? No, Yang's intentions were far more ambitious.

Accompanied by a loud scream, the wildly flailing grimm was lifted from the ground and thrown back into the forest.

Blake looked at the scene with her mouth agape. Yang was standing hunched over, breathing heavily. The sound of breaking branches and falling trees marked the grimm's landing somewhere out of sight. Yang's golden mane—Blake had only just realized that it had started to glow of its own accord at some point during the struggle—was fading fast.

Was the golden glow the manifestation of her aura and the fire she had seen before part of her semblance? It could have been caused by dust, but Yang didn't seem the type to bother with the intricacies of handling raw dust.

Blake snapped out of her stupor and hurried towards Ruby. She didn't bother to look back at the rest of their classmates, but the surprised look on Ruby's face spoke volumes: Even the little sister wasn't aware of the full extent of Yang's insane strength.

Granted, Yang had made good use of the speed she had built up—partially thanks to Weiss—but even so, Blake had never seen anything like it. Just how far could the blond push the effects of aura manipulation, anyways? Or was it her semblance, after all?

But there was a more important question on Blake's mind. Yang had just caught the tip of a giant stinger filled with deadly venom with her habitually exposed abdomen. It clearly hadn't ran her through as it should have, but it wouldn't have taken much to introduce the venom into her bloodstream.

The equipment they had been provided for their initiation did not include any form of antidote. Blake could only conclude, that the appearance of a giant deathstalker was not part of whatever plan the faculty had hatched for their initiation. Without immediate medical attention, their partnership might not last very long.

By the time Blake had arrived at Ruby's side, Yang was standing tall and stretching her arms over her head with a groan. There wasn't a single scratch or bump on her body as far Blake could see.

"Are you—"

"I'm fine," Yang cut her off with a cheeky grin on her face. "Just a bit out of breath. That stupid scorpion was heavier than it looked."

Blake shook her head hoping to stave off the headache she felt incoming. No matter how sturdy she was, her cavalier attitude was worrisome. Hits, especially those which could prove fatal on a scratch, should be avoided. Not getting hit was the only truly safe way of defense. Yang was too sure of her aura shield for Blake's comfort.

For the time being, however, the important thing was to leave before the grimm returned. While Yang's feat of strength and toughness was impressive, it hadn't won the fight for them. She had only bought them some time.

Blake drew _Gambol Shroud_ and went to cut Ruby free. She was stopped by a frantic girl throwing herself over her cape.

"What are you doing?"

"Cutting you free, so we can leave before they come back."

"You can't just cut my—"

"Ruby!" Yang stood over the prone girl with her hand raised.

Blake was shocked. She wouldn't hit her little sister, would she?

Yang squatted down and gave Ruby a symbolic bump on her head before she ruffled her hair. "What were you thinking?" Her voice was a lot more subdued and gentle than Blake had seen so far. "Not just charging in headlong," the pot calling the kettle black, "but sitting around like that?"

"I couldn't—"

"I know how important the cape is to you, but I can always fix it," Yang can sow? "or get you a new one. Do you really think Mom would want you to get hurt because you didn't want to tear your cape?"

Ruby looked down with a pout on her face. She gave in and shook her head.

Yang smiled gently and stood up. "Good. Now—" She grabbed the feather pinning Ruby with both hands. The muscles in her arms and stomach flexed visibly and the feather gave way in a smooth motion. Yang made it look effortless, but Blake knew from experience how difficult it was to pull a well-placed fence-post out of the ground.

A white blur shot past them and the temperature dropped by several degrees in the blink of an eye. Weiss had plunged her sword into the ground, causing one of her snowflake runes to appear at their feet. A jagged wall of ice formed around them moments before they were caught in yet another shower of nevermore feathers.

The ice wall sustained several hits. Cracks started showing. One feather even made it through but stopped after a foot or so. The wall held.

"Do you people ever watch your surroundings?" Weiss asked, "Or do you just go off in your little fantasy worlds and hope for the best?"

Blake had no excuse. She had gotten so wrapped up in her partner's exchange with her sister that she had missed the nevermore's approach, again.

"And you!" Weiss homed in on Ruby. With her sword in one hand and the other planted firmly on her hip, she leaned down, looming over her partner. "You are so childish!"

"Weiss?" Ruby asked, seemingly confused about what was going on.

"And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style!"

Blake had just about enough. Weiss wasn't exactly wrong, but the way she lorded over the younger girl rubbed her the wrong way. Being a condescending ass wouldn't help their situation.

Before she could give Weiss a piece of her mind, though, she felt a hand on her arm. Yang had moved to her side and was gesturing her to move back a bit with a nod of her head. Blake frowned, but relented and did as Yang had asked.

"They need to sort this out among themselves if they ever want to learn to work together," Yang whispered. "Just let them have their moment and things might look up. Worked for us, didn't it?" she added with a smile.

Blake couldn't help but smile back. Something about her partner managed to draw out that very underdeveloped side of hers a lot more often than she was used to.

"I suppose, I can be a bit… difficult," Weiss said, "but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do it together. So, if you quit trying to show off, I'll be… nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off," Ruby said "I want you to know, that I can do this."

"You can," Weiss said and turned to walk back towards the temple.

The sincerity in her final statement caught Blake by surprise. She hadn't expected Weiss to throw Ruby a bone at all. Coming from the arrogant and hostile heiress, it was almost a compliment.

Ruby sighed in relief. She closed her eyes and chanted "normal knees" under her breath with a smile on her face before she got up and followed Weiss.

Blake's confusion over Ruby's knees was cut short when a familiar blond figure invaded her personal space and poked her arm with her elbow.

"Aren't they cute?" Yang asked in a tone, that came annoyingly close to baby-talk.

Blake rolled her eyes and followed Ruby.

"What?" Yang asked as she followed on her heels.

* * *

Eight hunters-in-training met up at the forest temple to enjoy a brief reprise from the array of interruptions and attacks that had kept them from saying so much as hello to each other. The peace was deceptive. The nevermore was still circling the area like a vulture and the deathstalker Yang had removed from the field could be back any moment.

Yang and Blake were the last to arrive back at the gathering, following closely behind Weiss and Ruby. Blake took the chance to cast her eye over the four people among the group she was least familiar with.

Pyrrha seemed to be the serious and reliable type, and her reputation was nothing to sneeze at.

Ren was a blank slate. Aside from a no-nonsense attitude, a lack of stamina, and a saint-like tolerance for Nora, Blake knew nothing about him.

Nora was another wildcard. Blake wouldn't have put much stock in her usefulness, at all, if it hadn't been for her entrance. Getting within arms reach of an ursa without suffering serious injuries was not an easy task. Treating it like a disposable plaything in the process reminded her of Yang, which was both reassuring and worrisome.

Jaune, unfortunately, was useless. Everything he had done had reinforced Blake's first impression, and, as far as she could tell, he was nothing but a liability. Not that her impression of Ruby had been much different, but Yang seemed to have faith in her sister. Blake just hoped that it wasn't misplaced and about to put the younger girl in danger she couldn't handle.

"Guys? That thing's circling back." Jaune pointed at the dark spot in the sky. "What are we gonna do?"

Yang smashed her fist into her palm. "Ground the overgrown chicken and pluck it!"

Everybody in the group stared at her. The dangerous glimmer in her eyes was quickly replaced by confusion.

"What?"

Blake sighed. She had known it. Once Yang got a taste of the fight, she would want to go all the way whether they were ready for it or not.

"Look," Weiss took the initiative, "there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us."

"It's the relics, right?" Jaune asked nervously. "Not the huge monsters that are, kind of, right in front us, too?"

"Of course, it's the relics!"

"And then we have some fun?" Yang asked in an almost pleading tone.

"Yeah! Let's play!" Nora chimed in, happily.

Blake had expected her to side with Yang. Luckily, the two of them were still heavily outvoted.

"No, Weiss is right. Our mission is to grab a relic and make it back to the cliffs," Ruby shared a nod of approval with Weiss before she turned to face Yang head-on. "There is no point in fighting these things."

Blake watched as the formerly insecure and childish sister chided the older. The only thing more surprising than the mature and authoritative tone in Ruby's voice was that Yang responded to it. The blond looked slightly disappointed, but conceded her point without any further arguments. The dynamic between the sisters was as curious as it was confusing to Blake. The roles of rational adult and petulant child seemed to switch between them almost at random.

"Run and live? That's an idea I can get behind," Jaune said.

Blake watched Ruby and Jaune walk the rows of pedestals. Ruby grabbed the second white knight without hesitation while Jaune seemed lost at first, but eventually picked up the second white rook.

A matching set to theirs, making Blake wonder, once again, if there was any significance to the pieces beyond simple retrieval. There was one very uncomfortable implication about Ruby's choice mirroring her sister's: She might end up on the same team as a Schnee.

Ren had continued to watch the sky while Blake had mostly worried about the deathstalker returning. There was no sign of the latter—not even to Blake's sensitive ears—but the nevermore was closing in again.

"Time we left," Ren said.

Ruby had just returned to the group. "Right, let's go!" She waved for the others to follow her and took the lead.

Everyone—even Weiss—fell in. The youngest member of their group had somehow become their interim leader by silent vote without Blake realizing it.

She was about to follow when she noticed the exception. Yang hadn't moved an inch. She had her arms crossed and was watching Ruby with her head cocked to the side. If she had decided to challenge her sister's leadership position or wanted to push them for a fight after all, she had chosen just about the worst possible time.

"What is it?" Blake asked, hoping to find a quick and diplomatic solution.

Their eyes met for a brief moment before Yang turned back towards her sister and smiled. Blake's gaze followed. Ruby had just climbed on top of a boulder, waving once again for the group to follow. Between the flaring red cape, the confident look on her face, and the troopes rallying behind her, she looked like one of the heroes of old, ready to make history.

"Nothing," Yang said before she got moving.

Blake smiled and fell in at her partner's side. Pride, not discontent…

* * *

 **Author's Note (now rant free! as if…)**

Surprise! I know I said there would be one release a week until the end _Part Two_ , but I've decided to get it done as quickly as possible. Mostly, because I find myself stuck in the editing purgatory of diminishing returns. I should be working on _Part Three_ —which is about halfway done pre-editing—but I keep trying to… fix _Part Two_ despite already being kind of okay. Lost of wasted time that I could have used to create more content instead, which is why I need to get _Part Two_ out so I'm no longer tempted to 'improve' it.

The remaining chapter is about 12k words long and I'm not sure if I'm going to split it or not, but either way, it will be released in it's entirety by the weekend or earlier.

Now, I'm fully expecting to catch some flak for this chapter. I changed the temple fight and Yang is a bit… overpowered. That was the intention, but I might have gone a bit over board.

Yang is actually sort of a problem. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake are mostly explained, but Yang is still uncharted territory in many regards. There is just a bit too much going on with her (semblance, aura, eyes, family, …) that feels unexplained and I had to invent some explanations for how she works…

So yes, she is stronger than her canon counterpart. And there is a good reason why she is more subdued at school/during tournaments/etc and doesn't have a cereal box with her face on it. Luckily, my explanation also fits _Volume Three_ like a glove (at least the first half, I barely remember the second… probably some trauma induced memory loss or something) despite having been created before it was released, which is why I'm confident about going ahead with it. You just have to trust me until a certain training fight gets resolved during _Part Three_ , which will, for the most part, explain my interpretation of Yang's powers.

And let's be honest. Yang needed a boost. If you look at the team compilation, you got Ruby as the all-rounder and strategist, Weiss as the support/mage-type, Blake as the sneaky thief, and Yang as the front-line fighter (actually, that sounds like an awesome lineup for a JRPG… please tell me that there is a doujin project for a RWBY JRPG out there, and if now, how do we go about creating one?). Only, Yang got shafted in every single fight in the series so far. Seriously, look closely and you'll see what I'm talking about.

In small fights (Mountain Glenn is a prime example) she punches out one guy before Blake charges in and takes out half a dozen guys in a single strike. Ruby and Weiss do the same. Granted, Yang is the single-target heavy-hitter and the others probably have a leg up on her in crowd control, but not by that much.

But even against the big targets, she doesn't do well. Not going to spoil next chapter (although everybody knows already what's going to happen), but let's look at Yang vs. the military mecha-suit in _Volume Two_ , which was one of two, possibly three, defining moments of Yang's in that volume (the others being her heart-to-heart with Blake and her fight against Neo). It was spectacular and she was the only one doing any real damage without hacking away on it over and over again, but then we get to the train and Ruby/Ooblek face like a dozen of them. I get that Ooblek can handle them, he's a teacher, after all, but suddenly a single bullet of Ruby's is enough to throw them about as well? Kind of invalidates Yang's achievement…

Or take the first fight in the Vytal tournamet: 4 vs 4, everybody in team RWBY does well. Everybody but Yang, who gets her ass handed to her against another hand-to-hand fighter of all things. Sure, she gets the ridiculously staged 3-in-1 KO thing (which seemed to be the way every single 4-on-4 fight ended…), but that was a group effort that used Yang as a glorified hammerhead…

Really, the same applies to just about any fight in the entire show so far. Yang (as I understand it) is supposed to be the big fighter of the group, but most of the time she's just a joke (or not even included, but I've ranted about the stray cat arc and about how much I hate Sun enough for a while).

My version won't turn into the Yang-show. She won't be without weaknesses, steal every kill, win fights she's not supposed to win, or invalidate the other team member's contributions, but she will have a more pronounced role because I think that's how it's supposed to be, and I'm looking at the Yang/Blake side of things for the most part, so obviously, they will be more important in many instances.

And to any Weiss fans out there who might think that I undermined her in this chapter, I would argue, that she got to save the day twice in my version (Yang would have been too late without the rune and they would have been killed by the nevermore because… they're stupid and don't pay attention) whereas in the original, she only got to save Ruby, once.

Another thing I noticed and completely screwed up is Ruby's rise from clumsy and useless girl, to respected expedition leader. Honestly, the original screwed that up and I just went along with it, but if you look at the change in attitude towards Ruby (Weiss's especially) over the entire initiation arc, it makes absolutely no sense. I should have made some effort to actually put some sort of a character arc in there that would explain it, but it's too late for that. If I had to do it again, I would probably rewrite large portions of the Ruby/Weiss scenes for that very purpose…

Also, I hate claws, and pincers, and pairs of either. Seriously, I have no idea what the correct terminology is when talking about the grabby ends of a scorpion in different situations. And I've decided I don't care and will probably wildly and incoherently switch between them. It's just such a pain in the ass to get that part right and I'm unbelievably happy, that there won't be any more deathstalkers in the story for quite a while once initiation is done with…

That is all.


	10. Shadow of the Grimm

**Shadow of the Grimm**

 **Author's Note**

If you have previously read the chapters _Shadow of the Grimm I & II_ you do _not_ have to read this chapter. There is no new content, I simply merged the two chapters into one.

As for why, it comes down to a change in release policy. I had originally intended not to release any chapters longer than 10k words to keep things vaguely even.

As I'm editing my material for _Part Three_ I find myself breaking this barrier more often than not and would end up with several chapters split in half for size rather than context, which I'm not fond of.

Instead, I will split chapters only by context from here on out, which will lead to larger fluctuations in chapter size but more sensible splits.

* * *

Blake slumped against a tree, breathing heavily. She had underestimated the severity of their situation. A tactical retreat had felt like the right choice at the time, but things hadn't played out the way she had hoped they would.

The forest and difficult terrain should have given them plenty of ways to shake off their pursuers, and while the thick canopy had shielded them for most of the way, rendering the nevermore harmless, the deathstalker had posed a more immediate problem. No matter how many vertical drops they had scaled or how many densely forested areas they had crossed, it had always found its way back on their tail.

Grimm were said to have a sixth sense for negative emotions. Violence, fear, and anger were supposed to draw them in, but Blake had never seen any evidence of it. She had considered it a myth or, at best, a subconscious yearning that might draw a pack of beowolves in the general direction of their prey but not a sense as immediate as sight or smell. After all, she had sneaked past and ambushed plenty of grimm. If they had a special sense, her intention to kill should have given her away.

Things might be different with the older grimm. Blake's understanding was that the larger and more dangerous varieties of grimm—like an alpha beowolf—were simply older specimen that had had more time to grow and evolve. Hearsay and folktales, mostly, but it was all she had to go on. Few people outside the ranks of the hunters had any authoritative knowledge on the grimm, and, whatever the method by which they had been followed, the important part was that it had been effective.

Blake took stock of her companions. Most of them were winded after the hurried journey back and could do with a break they couldn't afford. Ren, Jaune, and Weiss were in particularly bad shape—they would do well to put in a couple of extra sessions of stamina training—while Pyrrha and Yang seemed entirely unaffected.

Not that it mattered much. Their odyssey was almost over. The group had taken cover at the edge of the forest facing the cliff for a quick breather before they would set out for the final stretch. The deathstalker would not be able to follow them up the sheer cliff wall, and once they would reach the top their initiation would be concluded and help from the faculty in dealing with the nevermore a given.

The problem was getting there. Roughly a hundred feet of vertical drop was bad enough, but what she had missed on their way out was the wide gorge that ran along the foot of the cliff. They had spent almost an hour trying to find a narrow enough space to cross over before they had caught a lucky break.

A long stone bridge spanned the gorge. Crumbling spires, cornerstones of ruined buildings, and stone statues eroded into nothing but rounded outlines littered the area on both sides. The style and material used reminded Blake of the forest temple, only more fortified. They had found what might have been an outpost of ancient Vale, acting as a gatehouse between wilderness and civilization.

History and archaeology had always struck a cord with Blake. Most of the rare non-fiction books she had read were historical textbooks.

The plight of her people could be traced throughout recorded history. Some used it as a justification to cause more violence while others advocated reconciliation and considered it a cautionary tale for future generations. Whatever the motivation, nobody with a vested interest in the faunus civil rights movement could avoid the study of history for long.

Blake made a mental note to look up the place in Beacon's database. History was among their required classes and chances were that the area surrounding the school would receive some attention, but there was no harm in taking a closer look at the places she had personally set foot in.

It wasn't the time to contemplate ancient, or recent, history, though. From a tactical point of view, the ruins were a terrible place to cross the gorge. They had to traverse a wide open area to get to the bridge, giving the nevermore a clean shot and the deathstalker a chance to outrun them. Once on the long, narrow bridge, they were sitting ducks. They couldn't run or hide. The deathstalker could mow them down with ease while the nevermore would be given a perfect approach to swipe them off. Not to mention that the bridge looked anything but structurally sound. Either one of the giant grimm might well be able to plunge all of them into the abyss at will.

"Right, is everyone ready?" Ruby asked.

"Do we have a, you know, plan?" Jaune asked.

"Run and hope for the best."

"Uh-huh, but what if things don't turn out for the best?"

"We improvise."

Yang stood up and walked towards the edge of the forest. "Works for me."

Blake smirked. Of course, it would.

"Remember, everyone," Ruby said as she joined Yang, "our goal is to reach the top of the cliff. Only fight if you have to."

* * *

The group charged the open field leading up towards the bridge. Whatever speed-based semblances were found among them had been forgone. They would all make it out together. Nobody was to be left behind. Or so Ruby had declared.

Not everyone present shared their conviction. They had barely left the safety of the dense forest canopy behind when Blake's ears picked up the familiar fluttering of giant wings. The nevermore must have lain in waiting for them and hadn't wasted any time making its move. It passed them by, circled the ruins once, and sat down on the tall spire that marked the center of the bridge.

Their charge broke. The group split in half and took cover behind the large stone pillars lining either side of the road.

Blake ended up with Weiss of all people. Much to her surprise, it wasn't being stuck with a Schnee that bothered her, but not being stuck with Yang. Just running wasn't an option anymore. They would have to go right through the nevermore, and the one person among their group she wanted at her side, the one person she trusted to have her back, had ended up on the other side of the road.

The raven-like grimm spread its wings and stood tall. An eerie screech accompanied the display.

"Well, that's great," Yang said to Ruby barely loud enough for Blake's ears to pick up.

As if on command, the deathstalker burst through the trees behind them with a wild roar.

So much for the option to retreat.

"Oh man, run!" Jaune yelled. He left his cover with Pyrrha hot on his heels. The pair was the first to move and caused the entire group to spring into action.

Blake wasn't sure if a dead sprint was the right move, but she was left with little choice in the matter. Being among the fastest members of their group, she decided to hang back and make up the rear guard.

With its prey back in the open, the nevermore took to the air and rained another barrage of feathers down on them.

"Nora, distract it!" Ren said as they broke from cover.

The girl dodged several projectiles, laughing gleefully, before she emerged from a roll with her pink grenade launcher in hand. She shot several equally pink projectiles at the nevermore. Her aim was poor, but the grenades packed a punch. One exploded in the grimm's face, point-blank. Its head was thrown back and the rain of feathers ceased as the nevermore broke away from the ruins.

The way ahead was clear for the moment, but their back was not. Nora, distracted by her attack on the nevermore, found herself face-to-face with the deathstalker, ready to tear her apart between its pincers.

Ren was on his way to step in, but he wouldn't be able to block both massive arms. Blake took the opportunity to start improvising and flung herself at the deathstalker. Each of them swiped away a pair of pincers, neutralizing the attack on Nora and bringing the grimm to a halt.

Weiss appeared out of nowhere next to Nora and grabbed her arm. A large snowflake rune formed at her feet before she jumped out of the deathstalker's reach, dragging Nora along.

Blake and Ren didn't waste any time and followed. The boy might lack stamina, but he was fast. Unfortunately, so was a giant deathstalker, and, in the open field, it was gaining on them.

The others had reached the bridge. Pyrrha broke her run as Weiss and Nora passed her by. She turned around, transformed her sword into a rifle in a swift motion, and started firing at the deathstalker.

Blake had little hope that she would cause any damage. Unlike Yang and Nora's weapons, which were loaded with powerful explosives, or Ruby's high-powered sniper rifle, Pyrrha seemed to be using a regular rifle and ammunition. No doubt highly effective against beowolves and the likes, but not the tank of a beast about to mow them down.

Ren jumped on the bridge and took position next to Pyrrha. What Blake had thought to be pistols with knives attached to their barrels turned out to be SMGs. A swarm of bullets zipped past her. Individually, they would have even less of an effect than Pyrrha's, but there were a lot them and they might be able to distract the deathstalker, maybe even get a lucky hit on one of the vulnerable eyes lined up on either side of the broad head.

Blake passed the two lone pillars that acted as a gateway between land and bridge. The hairs on her neck stood up as she could feel a pair of pincers swipe at her. Instead of flinging her off the bridge into the abyss, they returned a shadowy likeness back to the void it had come from.

Unexpectedly, the deathstalker stopped in its tracks. Their situation might be less dire than Blake had feared. The bridge was as wide as the grimm's body, but its legs stood out significantly further than that. It couldn't follow them.

Half their opposition was gone without having to find a way to penetrate its heavy armor while the other half had been chased off by Nora. If they could make it over the bridge before the nevermore returned, the worst would be behind them.

Blake passed Pyrrha and Ren, and fell in with the group. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were leading the charge over the bridge with Nora and Jaune close behind them. As the wild dash continued, Blake noticed that Yang had started to fall back. Nora and Jaune had almost caught up to her.

She furrowed her brows. Yang was among the most athletic people of their class. Blake couldn't be sure if Pyrrha, Yang, or herself would win in a straight up race, but there was no way Ruby or Weiss—both more than a head shorter than Yang—could outrun her. Not without using their semblances, at least, and while Blake couldn't tell if Ruby was keyed to a fixed speed or if she could manipulate herself gradually she was certain that Weiss could only give herself short boosts in a straight line.

Yang couldn't be doing it on purpose to give her a chance to catch up, could she?

The corner of Blake's mouth curled up slightly as she felt her spirits rise. At some point soon, she would have to take a step back and figure out this disturbing hold her new partner seemed to have over her state of mind.

Yang, in many ways, felt eerily familiar. Like a specter from the past that had come back to haunt her. But where she could only remember a cold hand dragging her deeper into the darkness that had been threatening to swallow her whole in the past, what was tugging at her in the present felt warm and welcoming. Where one had honed her skills and encouraged her to become a tool for the cause, the other was trying to make her smile and pushing her towards having fun.

The ease at which Yang had managed to worm herself past her defenses still worried Blake, and the thought of giving up any semblance of control over herself scared her, but, at the same time, she felt like it might not be such a bad thing to let her in.

Blake watched Yang's curtain of golden locks sway as the distance between them was shrinking with every step. Maybe finding redemption as a huntress wouldn't mean that she would have to be all alone.

A sudden yearning to return to her partner's side overcame her. This time would be different. Blake would make sure of it.

Just as she was about to create a shadow clone to close the gap between them, a black shadow dropped from the sky and crashed into the bridge in front of her, plunging it into the shadowy abyss below.

* * *

Jaune groaned. He wasn't sure what had happened. One moment he had been running as fast as he could, the next he was flung through the air only to find himself face-down on the floor.

Gunshots were coming from all directions.

That's right, he'd been in a fight.

He got on his knees and looked around. His head hurt and his vision was still blurry—he must have hit the ground hard—but the red-and-black figure next to him was impossible to mistake.

Ruby was shooting at something in the distance. A black blob… The nevermore! It must have crushed into them… on the bridge!

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them with the palms of his hands. It seemed to do the trick. His vision had cleared up significantly.

Weiss and Yang were with Ruby, focused on the nevermore. Good. Nora was with him, watching the scene. Good. Pyrrha was… missing! His oncoming panic died down when he remembered that there were gunshots coming from the other direction, as well.

A large section of the bridge was gone and beyond it, on the side they had come from, were Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake cornered between the deathstalker and a whole lot of nothing. They had no way out.

Ren and Pyrrha were shooting the grimm from a safe distance while Blake was close up, swinging around something on some sort of rope or ribbon. She dodged a blow with a flip, but the grimm was too quick. It brought its arm back and swiped her out of the air. She hit the ground and tumbled back, coming to a stop inches from the edge.

Ren took her place in melee while Blake slowly climbed back on her feet. She wasn't injured as far as he could tell—that aura stuff really was amazing—but she was shaky on her feet and standing too close to the edge for comfort.

Jaune looked at Nora. "Man, we gotta get over there. They need help!"

Nora joined him at the edge of the bridge roaring to go. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah, but, uh…" Jaune tried to gauge the size of the gap. "I can't make that jump."

Nora grinned impishly. Both of Jaune's eyebrows rose up high. The look on her face had sent a cold shiver down his spine. Whatever she was up to, he was not going to like it.

Nora laughed and confirmed his fears when she smashed her grenade launcher into his abdomen. Jaune was knocked back a couple of steps and landed on his tailbone, painfully.

He could hear the mechanical sound of a weapon transforming. Looking up, he saw that Nora had jumped into the air. She was holding a massive pink hammer with both her hands over her head, ready to bring it down on the bridge.

"No, wait!"

It was too late. The hammer's head exploded in a cloud of pink smoke and lightning as it hit the ground. The bridge segment Jaune was sitting on tilted like a giant seesaw and flung him over the gap.

"No, no, no, no!"

* * *

Stupid!

Blake clambered back on her feet. She would feel that hit the next day, and she deserved to. Getting stuck in between the abyss and the deathstalker with no easy way out was bad enough, but she had been careless and underestimated her enemy. Twice.

Blake had switched to her ribbon and sickle combination, hoping that it would put her mostly out of reach of her enemy. It hadn't. The deathstalker might have gotten stuck at the foot of the bridge, but it wasn't without leeway. To make things worse, she had underestimated its speed and allowed it to strike her from a blind-spot. She might as well have turned her back on the grimm and asked to be stabbed.

Blake yanked her ribbon and recovered _Gambol Shroud_. She wasn't sure what to do next. Her attacks did little to no damage to the deathstalker and with the bridge cut, there was even less of a reason to engage it in a fight. She should just make her way over the gap and join the others, but she couldn't abandon Pyrrha and Ren without knowing if they were stuck or not.

An explosion followed by distressed screams caught her attention. Jaune was flung over her head and landed unceremoniously on the ground. A second explosion heralded the arrival of a pink blur.

Ren, who had taken Blake's place after she had been hit, disengaged their opponent just before Nora landed a brutal overhead strike with a giant hammer childishly punctuated by yelling "smash!"

The deathstalker's front legs gave way, and its head was knocked into the ground, but it was by no means disarmed. The golden stinger shot forward, aiming to run Nora through. A pink cloud of smoke and lightning engulfed her hammer, driving the grimm's head even deeper into the ground while catapulting Nora out of harm's way.

Blake had noticed too late that Nora had been sent on a collision course with her. The pink girl crashed into her and pushed her over the edge.

The area below the bridge was covered in thin stone columns and narrower bridges, most of them in ruins. They provided plenty of opportunities for Blake to keep herself from finding out, firsthand, how deep the gorge truly was beneath the ubiquitous fog that covered the bottom.

An ominous black shadow appeared over her. It filled the sky and blotted out the sun like a dark cloud.

She couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the grimm. Blake felt tiny and insignificant in comparison, and the idea of fighting a monster that size struck her as a fool's errand. If only they had a choice in the matter or at least the facultie's support, but the teachers seemed to be sticking with their non-interference rule even in a situation that was clearly beyond what should be expected of their students.

A barrage of red-and-yellow explosions lit up the dark outline of the nevermore and ripped Blake from her thoughts. She smirked. It was time she stopped lingering on what can't be changed and rejoined the fray where she belonged.

She picked a pillar and threw _Gambol Shroud_ , firing its pistol for some added velocity. The sickle-shaped weapon spun like a boomerang, stabilizing its flight, and buried into the ancient stone.

As luck would have it, the nevermore had come down for another sweep through the ruins. Blake swung in a wide arc towards it. She reached her apex and released _Gambol Shroud_ , hoping to fling herself the rest of the way.

She came up short. The enormous creature—its head alone was several times as big as Blake—was about to pass her by just outside of her reach. Blake wouldn't let that happen. A shadow clone acted as her springboard in the middle of the air. It sent her directly into the grimm's path of flight.

 _Gambol Shroud_ had returned to her hand and, in a well-trained motion, was returned to its sheath. The wide piece of metal was sharpened on one edge and turned the quick and nimble blade into a heavy cleaver. That alone wouldn't do, though. The nevermore might lack the full-body armor of the deathstalker, but it was several times its size and layers of feathers were bound to have a very similar effect.

She concentrated her aura on the blade and swung it in a wide arc, spinning her body to put in as much force as possible. A purple arc of light cut into the nevermore just a moment too late. Instead of the mostly unprotected side of the monstrous head, Blake had hit the heavy armor plate that covered its top like a bizarre tribal mask. The attack left a deep scar on the bone, but it hadn't cut all the way through.

Blake hadn't even come close if the nevermore's lack of reaction was anything to go by. It casually swiped its head in her direction as if it was trying to nudge an annoying insect out of the way.

Another clone dissolved as the nevermore's head went right through it. Blake had brought herself back into position to try again, with similar results. There was too much random movement to land a precise strike and, up in the air, Blake was like a fish out of water. Her semblance might not need solid ground to provide her with a boost, but it didn't make up for the nevermore's home advantage.

Blake changed her strategy. A third clone allowed her to land on the grimm's back. Any hope of finding safe footing and uncovering a weak spot was quickly dispersed as the flapping of massive wings made the entire body shake and contort, continuously.

She was reminded of Weiss's entrance at the temple. Clinging on and hoping not to fall off was the best she would be able to do, which wasn't helpful and would put her right in her comrades' line of fire. Neither Yang's flares nor Ruby's large-caliber rounds were something she wanted to be on the wrong side of.

Blake ran along the nevermore's back, slicing at it in the hopes of doing some damage while she had the chance. She cut off some barbs and broke some quills, but the grimm was covered in several staggered layers of feathers. There were too many to cut through in a single strike, and the violent movements in flight made it impossible to hit the same spot twice.

It was time for a change of strategy. Blake jumped off the nevermore's tail and swung herself towards the central spire where Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were making their stand.

* * *

Yang was starting to get annoyed with the giant chicken. Very annoyed. Having been harassed on the way back was one thing, but, over the last couple of minutes, it had overdone it.

Spent shotgun casings exploded from _Ember Celica_. She had just emptied another pair of ammo belts into the grimm with little effect. Bits of feathers were blown off with every hit and burn marks littered its body, but, in the end, Yang was about as much of a danger to the thing as a mosquito would be to her.

She grabbed two more ammo belts from the leather satchel at her waist and was about to load _Ember Celica_ when a black-and-white figure popped up in the nevermore's path.

Yang smirked. Jumping right into it. She knew her partner had balls—in a fight at least—but she hadn't quite expected that.

The action was too far away to make out the details, but the glowing arcs appearing out of nowhere painted a clear picture: aura infused slices. Blake had some nice tricks up her sleeves. It wasn't exactly Yang's style but having a fellow aura manipulator at her side only added to the long list of reasons why Yang was convinced that she couldn't have gotten any luckier with her choice of partner.

Unfortunately, Blake didn't seem to fare much better with her attacks than she had.

Yang returned to loading _Ember Celica_ while Blake made her way back, alternating between using her ribbons and her semblance to traverse the ruins and the abyss looming below with ease. A professional acrobat had nothing on her partner's cat-like grace.

Blake landed on the broken wall next to Ruby who was busy reloading _Crescent Rose_ for the nevermore's next pass. Yang's mood perked up when Blake moved to her side without hesitation. It was hard to believe how used she had gotten to having her around during their short adventure. It was almost like part of her was missing whenever a certain purple bow wasn't within arm's reach.

Blake kneeled beside her and took a deep breath. Her eyes were glued to the nevermore. She was back to her serious self, but she would learn in time. Yang added returning her partner to her cheeky self to the long list of reasons to roast the stupid chicken for.

A monstrous shriek echoed through the ruins, foreshadowing another attack.

Blake stood up, her right hand hovering over her sword's hilt. "It's tougher than it looks."

Unfortunately, Blake was right. None of their weapons were doing much damage, but their options were limited as long as it kept its distance. If the thing would just get down on the ground and hold still…

Yang locked eyes with the grimm on its descent. There was one strategy that had always served her well. The loading sleds on _Ember Celica_ slid back into place, chambering two shells with a satisfying double-click.

"Let's hit it with everything we've got!"

Nobody complained. Weiss and Ruby had taken their places on the wall shortly after Blake had arrived. The clicking of a revolver cylinder from one side and the familiar sound of _Crescent Rose's_ heavy bolt action from the other indicated their approval of Yang's plan. Blake's pistol followed shortly.

It was time to wait. A second or two. Three at the most. Yang wanted to make every shot count. _Ember Celica_ was powerful, but slinging projectiles by shadow-boxing didn't allow for the best aim, and her ammunition stocks were running dangerously low.

 _Crescent Rose_ acted as the starting signal. Ruby had by far the best aim among them and a weapon designed to tear beowolves in half while they were nothing but a speck on the horizon.

Blake and Weiss fell in shortly afterward, raining bullets and snaking, glowy projectiles down the range.

Almost. One more flap of its wings. And… Now!

She shot three flares in rapid succession the moment the chicken's descent had turned into a head-on collision course. The first hit it square in the face, the second and third caught a wing and the torso respectively.

Yang smirked as a monstrous shriek answered the barrage. She had her aim trained in and started unloading shells.

The nevermore dove through blasts of fire, ice, and hot lead, leaving a wake of broken, frozen, and singed plumage behind. Despite the damage they were doing, it continued its attack unperturbed, diving right at them.

Yang had kept her eyes locked with the beast the entire time. There was no doubt about it, it was coming straight for her. The massive stone pillar it would have to go through seemed to be of as little consequence to the beast as the bridge had been.

Stubborn and hardheaded. Two can play at that. Her smirk widened at the thought. She was playing chicken with a giant chicken and there was no way she would back down.

Yang continued her barrage. The grimm had come close enough to make its head an easy target. Movement in the corner of her eyes announced Weiss and Blake's departure. The absence of _Crescent Rose's_ distinctive noise meant that Ruby had been on her way out as well. Good.

The last moments before the impact belonged to Yang and the nevermore. They came face to face as two pairs of red eyes locked. Whatever level of consciousness lay behind the glowing orbs of the grimm, it was as focused on Yang as she was on it.

A monstrous screech accompanied the grimm on the last few yards of its descent.

Yang fired again. She scored clean hits on the forehead and the unprotected side of its face. The head was thrown about and the chicken took a tumble downwards. Her attacks were finally showing effect. She planted another flare into its exposed neck, right behind the armor plate covering the head.

The grimm dove into the pillar a story or two below Yang. The entire structure shook. Carefully placed stones were violently dislodged. The pillars holding up the next level crumbled in a cascade as the floor Yang was standing on started to keel over and slide into the abyss.

The centerpiece of the ruins, which had proudly reached up into the sky weathering wars, grimm, and the forces of nature for centuries, crumbled like a house of cards.

A large piece of stone almost crushed Yang on its way down. It was high time to get out of harm's way. A burst of fire sent her towards one of the bigger pieces of debris raining down all around her.

She spotted a red blur vanishing over the edge of the still intact bridge segment. Weiss was close behind, using one of her fancy snowflakes as a springboard, while Blake was swinging out of the falling debris on one of her ribbons.

Everyone was safe, Yang thought with a smile on her lips as a large piece of wall came tumbling toward her.

* * *

Weiss's feet connected with thin air. A swirling, white snowflake was all that kept her from plunging into the misty abyss below. She jumped off the makeshift platform and eclipsed the height of what remained of the bridge. A twist of her body and a straight flip later, she landed in a crouch. Almost perfect form. Crumbling ruins and a couple of grimm were no reason to slack on the proper way of doing things.

Remnants of the spire were still standing tall, but it was only a matter of seconds before they too would vanish into the deep. Half the bridge had been destroyed. It was the very reason they had chosen this place, but if the fight continued the way it had there wouldn't be a bridge left for the others to follow on.

A dark shadow emerged from the fog-covered abyss. It looked worse for the wear. One of its wings wasn't moving as smoothly as it used to and there were broken feathers sticking out every which way, but it kept in the air all the same. It would be back in no time.

"None of this is working!" Weiss complained to Ruby, who had landed next to her.

There was no answer. Her partner was distracted by Blake, who had swung onto one of the remnants of a smaller bridge, which must have crossed the gorge, once. Of course, she would be distracted. Her sister was still missing. Weiss might have taken an instant dislike to the flashy, uncouth brute, but she knew what it was like to have an older sister.

"I'm sure the blond brute is just fine," Weiss said, hoping to console her partner. Their situation was bad enough without the younger girl falling apart on them.

"What?" Ruby looked at her genuinely surprised. "Oh, she's fine. Yang's, like, almost invincible."

As if on cue, the blond appeared between the last bits of crumbling ruins and landed next to them. She was covered in dust and debris, but seemingly fine otherwise. Then again, after the stunt she had pulled at the temple, Weiss wasn't surprised to see the girl without a scratch on her body.

"See?" Ruby said smugly.

Weiss was just about to put her partner down for her unbearable attitude when Blake popped out of nowhere. The girl had a talent for moving unnoticed. The only indication Weiss had as to how she had made her way over was the remnant of black ribbon that was snaking itself back into her hand in a way that looked almost organic. No doubt a trick achieved by using the girl's aura.

"What were you thinking!" Blake chided her partner, "You should have gotten out of there sooner."

Yang sighed. She had pulled her hair over her shoulder and gave it a good pat. A cloud of dust rose from it and bits of debris rained to the ground. "You're telling me. First shrubbery, now this! It's going to take hours to get all that crap out of my hair."

"Yang—!"

"Aren't there more important things to worry about than our partners' lack of common sense?" Weiss asked.

Yang pushed her hair back over her shoulder and laughed. She didn't complain or try to refute her. She just laughed. The blond's complete disregard for her own failings might be her most infuriating quality yet.

Blake was a different matter. Their eyes met for a split-second. Weiss had expected approval and understanding. After all, they both suffered the same cruel fate having been bound to the sisters. What she found couldn't have been more different. There was a dangerous gleam in Blake's eyes. A warning? To stay out of their business? Or had Blake taken offense to her comment despite Yang's cavalier attitude?

"You know, for a moment, I thought I had it. Sure looked like it was tumbling down, but I guess we just aren't doing enough damage pelting it from afar."

Yang's weapons spewed out their spent payload all over the place. Even the two bits of yellow sheet metal the brute had strapped to her arms and called a weapon were excessively flashy.

"Not that that will be an option for much longer, anyways. I'm running low on ammo," Yang said with a sigh.

"And whose fault is that?" Blake asked.

"Hey, don't complain. We wouldn't have met if I hadn't blown my first load having some fun," Yang said with a stupid grin on her face. "But whatever we do, we better bring it to an end soon." She pulled out two ammo belts. "That's the last of it for me."

"Actually," Ruby chimed in, "I have a plan!"

Oh no! "Your plan got us into this mess in the first place! That thing would never have found us if you hadn't gone riding on its back!"

"Unlike your navigational skills, it got us to the temple in no time, didn't it?"

"Listen you little—"

A monstrous screech in the distance cut her off. They were running out of time.

Yang faced Ruby. "So?"

"First, I need you to bring that thing down," Ruby pointed at the cliff wall directly in front of them, "over there."

Yang cocked her head. "You want me to ground the giant chicken in a single reload?" She waved the remaining ammo belts in her sister's face.

Ruby put her fists on her hips and raised a challenging eyebrow. "Well?"

Yang smirked and threw her ammo belts into the air. She held her arms out on either side and waited for them to drop into place. The heavy sleds protecting the ammo feed slid back as she balled her fists.

"Just make sure you're ready for it."

"You can't be—" Weiss watched Yang turn and run, ignoring her completely, "serious…"

Blake moved to follow Yang but froze after a single step. She was trying hard to keep her serious, neutral mask in place, but it was cracking. Confusion, anger, worry, even fear were shining through.

"You don't have to worry about her," Ruby said, bringing Blake's attention back to them. "When it counts, no one is more reliable than my sister."

Weiss frowned. There were many things she would call the blond, reliable was not one of them.

"She can do it. No," Ruby closed her eyes and shook her head. As she opened them again, they shone with admiration and pride as they focused on Yang, who was quickly scaling the ruins making her way towards the top of the tallest pillar still standing, "she will do it, and we need to be prepared to make sure that we don't waste her efforts."

Blake nodded. Her mask had slid back into place and she seemed determined to commit to whatever madness Ruby's plan would entail.

Weiss sighed. There was no turning back. "What are you up to?"

"We're going to build a catapult!"

* * *

Jaune found himself face down on the stone floor, again. He would have liked a moment or two to catch his breath or to contemplate his past actions in order to figure out what he had done to deserve to be treated this way. Even just having a second to find out if there was a single bone in his body not hurting would have been nice. But no such luck.

The ground was shaking. Not just shaking, tilting. He got back up on his feet quickly and tried to figure out what mess he had stumbled into now.

Cracks were running all over the bridge segment. The deathstalker's stinger—something he was familiar with on an up-close-and-personal basis—had buried itself into the ancient pavement. Whatever forces had been holding up the last lip of the bridge were no longer up to the task. They had two choices: go down with it or… "We gotta move!"

Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren were in agreement. They all set out in a dead run hoping to avoid their fate by… running straight at a giant deathstalker! It was stupid! Insane! Something no person in their right mind would do. It was the action of desperate souls, which was exactly what they were.

The angle of the bridge was getting steeper and steeper. There was no more time to consider the options. There were no alternative strategies. Fall or fight. He might be a coward, he might have nothing on his comrades' skills, but he wasn't entirely clueless either. He had survived growing up with seven sisters! He could do this.

Sword and shield ready in hand, Jaune fell in behind Pyrrha. The grimm wound back a pair of giant pincers and brought them down on the red-haired champion. She crouched and held up her round shield. The blow glanced off with little effort and exposed the vulnerable black underside of the grimm's limb.

Pyrrha's rifle transformed into a sword in a fluid motion. Putting her entire body into the swing, she cut deep, but not deep enough. Her sword couldn't even penetrate the thinner part of the grimm's armor. Not with a single strike anyways, but any attempt at a follow-up was thwarted as the second pair of pincers came for her open side.

Jaune acted instinctively. Before he knew what he had done, he found himself standing between his partner and the incoming blow. He had raised his shield, hoping for the legendary heirloom and his force field to keep him in one piece.

The shock of the impact ran through his body. All the pain he had accumulated on that horrible day was magnified. Pyrrha had made it look easy. Get in there, hold your shield up, wait for the blow to glance off. Only there was no glancing off in his case. He could see the tips of the massive pincers slide past his shield on both sides. Any moment now, the grimm would close them and snap him in half.

A red figure jumped over his shoulder and swiped at the arm. Jaune was released from the deadly grip, but the sudden loss of opposition made him stumble. He barely managed to keep on his feet only to find himself face-to-face with the opposite pair of pincers.

Gunshots cut through the air. Jaune caught a glimpse of Ren running at the deathstalker while spraying it with bullets. Whatever damage he might be able to do with his small rapid-fire pistols, it was enough to break the grimm's attack and force it back a couple of steps.

Jaune mirrored Pyrrha, each guarding one side against the next attack by the grimm's pincers, while Ren broke through the middle. Unfortunately, deathstalkers weren't just armored like tanks they also carried a wide assortment of weapons.

The yellow stinger shot down, trying to impale Ren. It missed by a hair's breadth. Instead of doing the sensible thing and getting out of there, Ren grabbed on to the stinger as it retracted. Jaune felt a bout of nausea return as he remembered his ride dangling from the grimm's pointy appendage. Not every kind of dangling was a good kind of dangling…

Ren seemed immune to the effects, though. He swung around, braced himself against the tail, and pressed one of his guns into the gap between stinger and the last tail segment. A spray of bullets cut through the tail, almost dislocating it.

The attack didn't go unnoticed. A pained shriek escaped the deathstalker. Its movements became more frantic, its pincers and tail were flailing wildly. Any attempt of a follow-up attack, however, was foiled, as Ren barely managed to hold on.

The grimm regained part of its composure. It roared at them menacingly before it brought both its claws forward, hitting Jaune and Pyrrha's shields hard. The monster's strength was immense and both of them were thrown backward.

Behind them, explosions announced Nora's entrance into the fray. Two pink grenades passed them by and hit the grimm in the face. It was the deathstalker's turn to be pushed back. There was no obvious damage, but it was staggering and its armored limbs had been thrown wide, leaving its head open and unprotected.

An opening Jaune had to let pass, as he had landed on his tailbone, again! Pyrrha, however, had remained standing. Her sword transformed into a spear and was thrown at the grimm in a fluid motion. It dug deep into one of the melon-sized red eyes, eliciting another pained hiss.

The grimm's movements became even more frantic. It whipped its damaged tail to the side with enough force to throw off Ren. He tumbled through the air, crashed into a stone pillar, and crumpled on the floor.

"Ren!" Nora yelled to no avail. Her partner remained prone on the ground.

Jaune got back onto his feet. They may be down a hand, but the deathstalker hadn't recovered yet, either. It was swaying left and right, trying to get its legs back under control. That was when he noticed the stinger, dangling precariously over its head. The grimm had raised its tail again, and the damaged joint would only need a little nudge to give way.

"Pyrrha!" he yelled, pointing at the heavy, yellow, and incredibly pointy bit of the deathstalker.

"Done!" His partner understood. She threw her round shield like a discus. It cut through what was left of the link and sent the stinger plunging down, piercing through the deathstalker's armor. Pyrrha's shield collided with a stone pillar behind the monster and somehow found its way back into her hands.

It wasn't the time to be impressed by the champion's talents, though. The stinger might have pierced the armor and dug into the top of the grimm's body, but not deep enough. Luckily, they had exactly the right tool for this kind of situation.

"Nora, nail it!"

"Head's up!" the orange-haired girl yelled as she jumped over Pyrrha who crouched down and raised her shield over her head. Nora landed on top of the shield, sitting on her hammer's haft like a witch on a broom. The stone floor around them shattered as Pyrrha's powerful legs and a pink explosion catapulted Nora high up into the sky.

Gleeful laughter could be heard as she reached the apex where another explosion turned her into a spinning projectile of destruction that hit the nail square on the head. The force of the impact didn't just drive the stinger into its former owner, it drove the entire creature deep into the ground. The pavement all around it shattered and the last remnants of the former bridge came up like a… seesaw. Jaune suffered a moment of _déjà vu_ as he was flung over the hissing grimm.

His situation granted a great aerial overview of the fight, though. Pyrrha's spear somehow dislodged from the grimm and returned to her hands as she flew over it. Nora, perched on her hammer's haft in a handstand, fired another blast, sending herself their way while the deathstalker was driven even deeper into the ground.

It gave way and the grimm slid into the abyss, taking a good deal of stone and earth with it. Dead or alive, it wouldn't come back for them anytime soon.

The thought was of little consolation to Jaune as his tailbone connected with solid rock for the third time in minutes. He was convinced that he would have broken it several times over by now if Pyrrha hadn't unlocked his aura. A lucky break, in a way…

Jaune took stock of his makeshift team. Ren had gotten up. He was breathing heavily but seemed fine otherwise. Pyrrha had landed flawlessly, looking like she was ready to go again at a moment's notice. Nora had crashed like him, but she was laughing happily. Pain didn't seem to bother her, which was a foreign concept to Jaune. He had always felt greatly bothered by pain and had made it one of his life's ambitions to avoid it.

His eyes drifted towards the other end of the bridge where a yellow shape, standing high up on a pillar, was raining fire down on a black shadow circling the area.

Then again, some people seemed to be just invincible…

* * *

Yang watched a set of fiery clouds dissolve in the sky. She hated moderation, but she hated disappointing Ruby even more. She would just have to deal with it for the time being.

Her plan had seemed to work at first. She had put herself up as bait to make sure the nevermore wouldn't go after the others, but she had reached an impasse. The stupid chicken was toying with her. The last time it had gotten close, it hadn't fared well. Now, it was keeping its distance, circling her like a vulture and waiting for its chance to strike.

Yang sent another salvo of flares at the grimm. Every single one a clean hit, but the outcome was always the same. She wasn't doing enough damage to break through the layers of feathers that acted as the grimm's armor.

Time for a change of plan before she ran out of shells. She took her stance, ready to fire at any moment, and waited.

She had watched the nevermore all day. She knew its flight patterns. She knew how its body shifted in the air with every stroke of its wings. She knew its speed and how fast it could turn. She had studied the damn chicken enough to know where it was going before it knew itself.

Precision was the key to her predicament, she just didn't enjoy it very much.

She watched her opponent fly, waiting for her time to strike. She didn't just have to lure it in and bring it down to the ground, she had to do so in a very specific spot. Why, she didn't know, but Ruby was crafty and if that was what she needed to follow up, she would get it.

There!

Yang shot a single flare, returning back into her stance just in case she would have to try again.

There was no need. She was spot on. The flare exploded in the beasts eye, leaving it horribly disfigured. The stupid chicken had noticed that, all right. It let out a pained shriek and turned to come right at her.

Yang smirked. Ruby's target was in her back and whatever reason had occupied the grimm's mind had been overridden by pain and rage. The trap was sprung. All that remained was to drag it down to the ground.

Playing chicken with a giant chicken, round two. Only this time, there would be no escape.

The nevermore dove at her, its beak wide open, ready to gulp her down. Yang crouched and jumped. The beak blotted out the sky above and the ground below. A disgusting gray tongue reached for her while a wave of its wretched breath assaulted her senses.

She was about to disappear in the grimm's stomach, but Yang had other ideas. Her arms and legs found safe footing on the beak's rim. The nevermore tried to chomp her down, but Yang wasn't your average earthworm. She kept the beak pried open, exposing all the squishy, vulnerable bits inside. If she couldn't punch a hole through the thing from the outside, she would just have to use one that was already there.

"I—hope—you're—hun—gry!" Every syllable was punctuated by _Ember Celica_ sending fire down the chicken's gullet. Singed flesh and boiling fluids magnified the already putrid stench, making Yang's stomach churn.

It was worth it, though. Her composure won over the desire to relieve herself of what little food she had managed to get her hands on during the day's ordeal, and the chicken was tumbling out of control on a collision course with the cliff.

Yang jumped out of the beak and landed in a crouch. The ground shook on impact, raining debris down all around her.

She smirked. Mission accomplished.

* * *

Ruby felt guilty. She knew Yang wouldn't mind, but her plan had sent her sister out, on her own, against a beast that the four of them together had barely managed to scratch.

As expected, Yang had taken an extreme course of action, but it was Ruby, who had goaded her into it, knowing full well how she would act.

Seeing her sister vanish in the grimm's beak had made her stomach churn. She should have known better even before she saw fire spewing from it, but fear and worry for the people one cared about never disappeared entirely, no matter how little reason for it there might be.

Yang reappeared in a crouch shortly before the nevermore got personally acquainted with the cliff. Ruby was too far away to make out her expression, but she knew exactly what she would find. Yang had formed somewhat of a personal rivalry with the nevermore and she must have enjoyed bringing it down. The blond's evil smirk was a sight to behold, especially while her scarlet eyes shone through.

The nevermore's crash into the wall was deafening. The ground shook and every bit of loose dirt, dust, and debris in the area was kicked up. Entire sections of the cliff broke free, causing rock avalanches along their way.

The lasting effect of Yang's attack, however, was nowhere near as strong as Ruby had hoped. By the time the raven-like grimm had reached the ground, it was already recovering. It landed on its feet and was shaking its head wildly. What used to be bone-chilling shrieks had turned into hoarse roars. Deep gushes littered the white face-mask, broken feathers were sticking out every which way, chunks of ice were clinging to its plumage, and there wasn't a single section of its body—inside and out—that wasn't covered in burn marks. They had thrown enough firepower at it to destroy a small army, and yet, it was still standing.

Not for much longer, though. Stage two of Ruby's plan had already begun. Weiss had moved out, sliding past Yang like an ice skater while the nevermore stretched its wings trying to go airborne. She was cutting it close.

Half a dozen or so steps were separating Weiss from the nevermore the moment it lifted off the ground. Ruby bit her lip. If it got away, her plan would be shot and Yang's efforts for nothing.

Weiss jumped. Her sword lit up in a white glow before she rammed it into the ground below the nevermore. A ragged flower of ice rose up to catch its prey. The hold on the grimm's tail feathers looked flimsy, but it was enough to bring it back to the ground. Perfect.

The nevermore, angry with the new arrival, tried to peck Weiss to death. A glowing rune appeared at her feet and she flipped out of the way. The massive beak easily broke through the pavement, but Weiss was long gone by then.

Yang arrived back just in time for stage three. It was time to assemble the parts needed for the grand finale.

Weiss had complained about Yang running off without knowing the whole plan, but Ruby knew that she could count on her sister to think on her feet. Blake had taken her place on one of the large pillars framing the bridge. Ruby nodded toward its mirror, which was all the directions Yang needed. She jumped there and caught the sickle Blake had thrown at her.

Ruby had called it a catapult, but it was more like they were building a giant slingshot. She still remembered the first time she had gotten her hands on one of them. She must have been six, seven at the most. Yang had come up with the idea and procured the materials, while Ruby had assembled it. She had always been more of a tinkerer than her sister, even at a young age.

They had spent the next two weeks hiding it from their father and spending every free minute coming up with things they could shoot. Bottles, cans, toy soldiers; nothing was safe from them. They had made up little games and competitions, always trying to one-up each other with even more crazy and fun ideas.

Everything went well until Yang had the idea to apply what she had learned from their father about a hunter's weapons and how they were infused with their master's aura to make them more potent. Ruby hadn't been able to use her aura yet, but Yang had a knack for it and had spent years in training already.

With their new plan in mind, they went for a test run behind their garage. The wall had been in need of a new coat of paint for years and a few more dents wouldn't raise any suspicions. It had served them well as a backdrop for their shooting galleries, but neither of them had had any idea how flimsy a solid brick wall would turn out to be once Yang would start using more than just pebbles as projectiles.

It had been almost ten years since then, but Ruby could still remember the excitement she had felt when Yang drew back the slingshot for the first time like it was yesterday. She was going to see something incredibly cool. She was going to see something she had built used like a hunter's tool. Best of all, it was her beloved older sister that would turn their toy into a real weapon.

And what a weapon it had become. The flimsy toy slingshot built by a little girl had punched a fist-sized hole through the brick wall. It had blown out the back and front window of their father's car, punched a hole through their metal garage door, broken the kitchen window of the neighbor's place across the street, and destroyed a shelf of butt-ugly decorative plates before it finally came to a stop buried in another wall.

The old woman had claimed that her plates were worth a fortune and tried to haggle the money out of their father, but Ruby hadn't fallen for it. Nothing that ugly could have been worth any money. The woman from the insurance company hadn't fallen for it, either. The prized collection of decorative plates the old neighbor had used to bore anyone who had entered her kitchen to death with for decades had turned out to be a collection of worthless souvenirs from some annual event or another.

It had done little to lessen their father's anger, though. She had never gotten into so much trouble before and very rarely since. Unlike Yang, who had a talent for keeping their father on his toes.

Now, almost a decade later, she was about to weaponize yet another slingshot. For a good cause, rather than just for the fun of it, but she could only hope that her father would never find out what she had chosen as a projectile or she may well spend the rest of her time at Beacon grounded…

* * *

Weiss rushed back to her position at breakneck speed. It was moments like these that made her wish she could create larger dust projectiles. Unfortunately, beyond a certain point, direct contact was the only reliable way to go. It was something to work on in the future if only to avoid running back and forth like an errand boy.

She was only deflecting, though. The entire plan was ludicrous. Having something to complain about helped forget, that she was about to ruin her grades and turn herself into a laughingstock by listening to her partner's ideas.

The insufferable maniac was taking lack of common sense to a whole new level.

Weiss could only blame herself, of course. She shouldn't expect anything rational or reasonable from the sister of a girl that had jumped in the path of a giant deathstalker's stinger and into the beak of an even bigger nevermore in the span of a couple of hours. Not that any amount of time in between these two events would have made her any less insane. Clearly, something was wrong with the members of their family.

Weiss zipped past Ruby, who was watching her handiwork with a satisfied look on her face.

There was nothing to be done about it anymore. Once it had become clear that Blake was going along with Ruby's madness, Weiss had stopped fighting it. Outvoted three to one, there was no point in continuing. She had considered Blake to be on the sensible and intelligent side of the spectrum, but her association with the blond brute must have ruined her already.

Weiss reached her designated position at the back of their formation and created a large white rune in the air. The rune turned black, signifying one that would impede movement rather than aid it.

Ruby jumped into the ribbon Blake and Yang had spanned across the pillars. It stretched until she was caught in the black rune. She stood on the blade of her over-sized weapon, with her hands on the firing and bolt-action mechanisms, ready to submit to her role as a living projectile.

It was all up to Weiss now. If anything happened to her partner, her grades would plummet. If the faculty found out that she had shot her to her fate, she might as well take her bags—there was nothing to pack since she hadn't even been allowed to unpack, yet—and leave.

"Of course, you would come up with this idea."

Reminding Ruby of her disapproval eased her tension. Given the situation, Weiss would take anything she could get if it improved her aim and helped them avoid disaster.

"Think you can make the shot?"

Weiss scoffed. Now? She chose now of all times to ask that? She should have worried about that before they had wasted their time and resources setting things up.

"Can I?"

"You can't?" Ruby asked, missing the sarcasm in Weiss's voice.

"Of course I can!"

Calm down, Weiss. There are more important things to worry about than your partner's lack of basic language comprehension.

She held out her arm in front of her, pointing two fingers at her target as makeshift sights, and steadied her breathing. The nevermore was flapping wildly, trying to get free, but her ice was holding. It had been confined to a small area, but the shot had to be lined up perfectly before she could release Ruby.

Satisfied, she brought Myrtenaster up in front of her, and rotated the cylinder to a vial of kinetic dust she would use to enhance her semblance's potency.

The glow started to spread from its chamber in the revolving cylinder up towards the tip of the blade. Even after having seen the effect thousands of times, she could still revel in her little indulgence.

Compared to many other weapons—certainly her partners scythe-rifle monstrosity— _Myrtenaster_ was a deceptively simple design. There were no transforming shenanigans or gimmicky design elements. _Myrtenaster_ was a classic, elegant beauty much like its mistress.

A revolving chamber, filled with vials of raw dust for flexibility and quick access, connected a simple handle and a sturdy square blade that had been tapered to a fine point. Simple, but it was built from the highest-quality materials available to the Schnee Dust Company and to the highest standards of craftsmanship in all of Remnant.

It acted as her sword and her wand, allowing her to combine fencing and dust in a powerful and versatile fighting style. It was a weapon that required skill to bring out its full potential, designed for a master in the use of dust.

The pattern of glowing runes along the blade was a personal touch she had added. By applying the various dust-bearing alloys used in the blade's construction in the shape of the runic writing adorning her semblance, she had made it possible for the writing to appear on the blade when charged, rather than lighting it up uniformly.

Maybe that was to be her future? After her partner had been turned into a bloody smudge on the cliff and her expulsion was all but certain, she could introduce a personalization option to some of her company's products based on her technology.

The final rune at the tip lit up. She brought _Myrtenaster_ around with a flourish. The rune created by her semblance turned red as it opened itself to her partner's aura before turning white as the human projectile was released.

Ruby noticed the change and fired a round from her weapon. The combined force of the dust infused rune and the recoil of the high-powered sniper rifle was immense. The backlash ripped a several yards long, cone-shaped scar into the pavement, spraying everything behind them with rocks large enough to kill on impact.

Ruby flew off like a bullet. Her red cape fluttered wildly behind her, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake. She kept firing her rifle in order to add more speed to her flight. Her trajectory was perfect, but it was too early for Weiss to congratulate herself. There was one more part for her to play in this mad scheme.

Weiss concentrated again, creating more runes. One black rune to lessen the impact and a row of white runes, running all the way up to the top of the cliff. They rose up high in quick succession, mirroring _Myrtenaster's_ blade charging.

Creating that many runes took an immense toll on Weiss, adding to the exhaustion of the day. She stumbled halfway through and barely managed to finish her task before she fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

* * *

Ruby was closing in on the looming figure in front of her. Even severely damaged, the massive body was a sight to behold and being shot at it with little chance of altering her fate was not a feeling she enjoyed.

It wasn't the time for Ruby to doubt herself, though. Her makeshift team had used up almost all its resources in order to reduce the beast to its current state. They had put their faith into her and her plan. There was no going back.

Ruby closed in on the beast. Almost there. She stepped off _Crescent Rose's_ blade to prepare it for its gruesome duty.

The nevermore unleashed a gargled roar and started to flail more wildly, trying to break free from its icy shackles. It knew what was coming. Bestial instinct or genuine intellect, whichever it was, it knew that the end was near.

Another shot echoed through the ruins. The nevermore tried to lift off the ground with one last flap of its wings. A mistake that perfectly exposed the soft underside of its neck to Ruby.

The red reaper rushed past the grimm's massive head. A jolt ran through her arms as _Crescent Rose's_ razor sharp double blade hooked its target and cut deep. Whatever noise the beast had tried to make had died in its throat.

It wasn't enough. The blade got stuck without cutting all the way through. The second jolt almost ripped the scythe from Ruby's hands, but she had been prepared for it. Instead of losing her weapon and setting the massive creature free, she dragged it along on the last bit of her flight and smashed it into the cliff wall.

 _Crescent Rose_ had cut deeper, but it still wasn't enough. The struggles were ebbing down, but the nevermore wasn't done for, yet.

Time to use her final trump card.

Ruby landed as soft as a feather on the black rune, but that was only part of what her partner hat prepared for her. She broke into a running start, putting everything she had into her semblance.

The row of glowing runes running up the cliff seemed to change the laws of nature, allowing her to run up a vertical wall like she was on even ground. The experience was one of the strangest things she had felt in her life. She could still feel gravity pulling her down, but, at the same time, it had no hold over her anymore.

Between her semblance, the remaining bullets in _Cresent Rose's_ magazine, and Weiss's runes, the nevermore stood no chance. Ruby dragged it along, all the way up the cliff, with its throat still caught on the scythe's blade. She could feel it cutting deeper and deeper.

The nevermore's resistance had ceased somewhere along the way. It might have died or it might just be unconscious. Either way, Ruby wasn't taking any chances. She taxed her semblance to its limits, burning through her aura at a pace that would leave her all but defenseless in a matter of seconds.

The edge of the cliff came into view. Almost there. Two more steps. One. She jumped, yanking _Crescent Rose_ along for one last push.

Suddenly, all resistance disappeared. Ruby, free of tons of dead weight, shot up into the air, tumbling. She regained control and landed in a crouch with _Crescent Rose_ supported on her shoulders.

She was exhausted. A short dizzy spell threatened to overwhelm her, but she managed to pull through.

A couple of heavy breaths later she looked up, trying to assess the situation. The last few moments as she had gone over the cliff were a blur. She couldn't tell if the nevermore had slipped off her blade or if she had managed to cut through its neck until she noticed a dead eye staring back at her. The nevermore's head sat in front of her like a gruesome trophy, black smoke already rising as it had started to dissolve.

Ruby got to her feet and walked towards the edge of the cliff. Her cape was fluttering in the wind. Remnants of her aura were whirling all around her.

It was finally over. They had won.

Down among the ruins stood a white, a yellow, and a black shape. All unharmed. Exhausted but unharmed. Their makeshift team had braved a deadly challenge far beyond what they were supposed to be able to handle, but, with tenacity and teamwork, they had made it through.

They had been awesome!

* * *

Blake joined Weiss and Yang to watch the aftermath of Ruby's plan. The girl in the hood had disappeared beyond the cliff's edge, leaving the massive nevermore carcass to slide down its wall.

The plan had been insane from the start. Seeing Yang face the nevermore by herself would haunt Blake in her dreams for the foreseeable future. Her heart had leapt into her throat when she had seen her partner disappear in the grimm's beak, but she should have known better than to assume that something as trifling as being eaten by a giant monster would slow Yang down.

Turning their youngest companion into a human projectile was equally crazy. It had worked, and it had proven that, whatever the precise circumstances, Ruby's admission to Beacon was well deserved. Weiss's runes had played an important part, but it was Ruby who had pulled it through. The younger sister was as exceptional and as unconventional as the older.

Blake took a quick glance at Weiss. She was leaning on her sword, breathing heavily. She was still far from comfortable in the heiress's presence, but Weiss had almost dropped from exhaustion braving the path for Ruby. Blake had to give her credit for that.

The nevermore's carcass hit the narrow rim of land surrounding the cliff and rolled off into the misty abyss at its foot as Ruby appeared on top of the cliff, scythe on her shoulder, cape fluttering in the wind, and rose petals littering the sky.

The other side of the gorge had gone silent as well. Nevermore and deathstalker, both opponents that should have been taken on by experienced hunters, had fallen to a group of trainees on their second day at school. It was difficult not to feel a certain degree of pride in their accomplishment, but, mostly, she was glad that their path back was clear and they could finally bring their initiation to an end.

The thought, as appealing as it may have been, also filled her with anxiety. She took a look at Yang, who had crossed her hands behind her head and was casually watching her little sister.

Their partnership had been a surprisingly positive experience, so far. It was beyond anything Blake had expected to find coming to Beacon, but would it last once the tension and urgency of a field mission were gone? They were exceptionally different people, and Yang's interest in her might wane quickly once her shiny new toy wasn't quite so new and exciting anymore.

"Well," the blond shrugged her shoulders seemingly unfazed by the experience, "that was a thing."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And it's done. _Part Two: Initiation_ is finished. _Part Three: School Life_ will commence whenever it is ready.

It's actually getting so big that I'm most likely going to split it again. Between here and the first day of school, there's already 47k words waiting with some scenes still missing. It's going to shrink by about 30% or so in editing but it's still big enough and it's a nice break point that should help shorten the gap between releases significantly. That being said, next up will be _Part Three: Moving In_ instead.

Unfortunately, the scene order in this chapter has not played out the way I wanted it to. I really wanted Jaune to look towards Yang the moment she gets eaten but survives, which would have made the "invincible" comment a lot more fitting. However, there was no good way to break the JNPR fight and I didn't want to spoil Yang's big moment before it happens so we are left with the boring vanilla variant where she just shoots at the nevermore.

I had a similar problem with the very end. I wanted to let Ruby's final comment on their fight to stand as the ending remark, but I couldn't just ignore Yang's line, nor could I move the last scene up without having to split Ruby's, which wasn't going to happen.

Besides, Blake/Yang are my focus characters and the kitten deserved a chance to voice her thoughts in the end since she was essentially useless during the fight. Which, incidentally, was both accidental and deliberate. Canon handed me that version and it shows one thing very well: Team RWBY is diverse, they are all very good at what they do, but they all have weaknesses.

Blake is fast, nimble, stealthy, versatile, and deadly, but if you think about what the White Fang would have trained her to do, I think it's safe to say that it's not full frontal combat. She would have been trained to avoid fighting if possible, and fight smart if necessary. And she would have been trained to fight humans and the common grimm she might meet around a hideout. Very little reason for people not trying to hunt grimm to bother with the rare, big specimen.

It's the very beginning of her journey as a huntress-in-training, and she's just not equipped to handle a bird that makes a semi look like toy car in comparison, yet. That doesn't mean that she's weaker than the rest of the team, this just wasn't her fight.

Besides, she has Yang for that sort of thing. Hunters work in pairs, teams, groups, whatever. And out of all the canon pairs, I'd argue that Yang and Blake have by far the best synergy when it comes to monster hunting. I only mentioned that pack of beowolves they'd killed in passing, but I stand by that assessment. Together, they're equipped to handle pretty much anything the grimm can throw at them better than any of the other pairs of Beacon students.

Talking about Yang, I hope you liked my take on her state of mind during a (somewhat) impossible fight. It was the first time we got to see her fight from her own perspective and I tried to convey the sort of disturbing mindset with which she goes into combat. She's a daredevil, an adrenaline junkie, and she doesn't quite process risk for her own life the way most people would. It's not quite suicidal, but it is overconfident and dangerous, and might (will?) eventually come back to bite her in the ass.

I'm also strangely proud of the _Ruby vs. Nevermore_ scene. I really didn't want to write that one, but it quickly turned into one of my favorite scenes so far. The last moments of the nevermore's life are not quite as dark and moving as the inspiration for this chapter, but I think it fits very well.

Speaking of which, if you don't get the (very obvious) reference hidden in the chapter title, please move over to the closest corner of your room, sit down, close your eyes, and die. Thank you very much.

On a less morbid note, do whatever you have to do to get your hands on a copy of _Shadow of the Colossus_. Preferably the PS2 version as, in my opinion, the washed out look actually enhances the experience compared to the crisper PS3 version.

"Why?" you might ask. Well, it was not only the inspiration for the title, but for the way the fight against the nevermore played out. Nothing shows the futility of fighting a several stories tall monster with a tiny toothpick of a sword better than _Shadow of the Colossus_.

Even if you only go after the first colossus, which is the most memorable in my opinion anyways, you have to do it yourself to understand just how ridiculous any other fantasy game truly is. Don't watch it on youtube. Don't read about it in a guide. It will ruin the experience. Go and do it yourself.

No game before or since, has managed to reach the level of immersion _Shadow of the Colossus_ invokes. But make sure, you don't approach it it like the usual easter egg hunt rpg/adventure game you're used to. Don't explore every corner, don't get caught up in details or game mechanics. There is just you, a horse, a mostly empty world, and a dozen or so giant monsters you will learn to fear.

Actually, you will learn to fear the world too once you dive in a seemingly bottomless lake knowing that there aquatic colossi. You know they won't show up. It's not their turn. You know they probably don't even live in that lake, but god will you fear that dark, murky water you've fallen into accidentally.

I know it sounds pretentious, but just go with the flow and experience it and you will not regret it. It is one of the most moving and disturbing, yet beautiful games ever created. And that first kill is easily the one video game experience I will never forget for the rest of my life.

But be warned, you will never be able to look at the way other games make you fight giant creatures without rolling your eyes again. You cannot come back from killing a colossus and take the endurance matches that have you poke a dragons toes for half an hour while it squishes, fries, and chomps you down without leaving a scratch on you serious, anymore.

I don't think I did a very good job conveying the massive scale of the nevermore and how futile conventional attacks would truly be against it, but it being a bird and mostly out of reach didn't help. For those who wonder, in my version, this nevermore was a lot bigger than the ones Coco dispatches of with ease in _Volume Two_. There is a bit too much power creep going on in RWBY, which is something I'm not fond of and I'm trying to counteract.

Anyways… Why are you still here? Go buy the game, play it and then come back for more. Some things are more important than my story. Actually, almost anything is more important than my story, but I shouldn't say that out loud, should I?

That is all.


	11. Locker Room Confessionals (Part Three: M

**Locker Room Confessionals**

 **Author's Note**

Revision Update 2017-05-22

Usually, revisions are pushed out without notice as they only fix minor mistakes in grammar and style. This revision of part three, however, is the first major overhaul, focusing mostly on the flow of the story as a whole and Ruby's characterization in particular. Significant portions of her dialogue have been rewritten from ground up in order to fix her flawed portrayal.

Similar revisions for the first two parts will follow in due time, but the main focus will return to work on part four, which is long overdue.

Also, feel free to watch my Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittscho "{at}sittscho")—on which I've started to post updates, requests for feedback, and such—if you want to stay up-to-date on my progress, contribute, or just say hi.

* * *

Blake sat down on the bench in front of her locker with a sigh.

Initiation had come to an end. They had braved what should have been an insurmountable task without any serious injuries, but what had waited for them on the way back had not been a hero's welcome. Instead, all they had gotten was a court nod from the headmaster and a reminder from professor Goodwitch to be on time for the official ceremony the next day.

Water was slowly collecting in the tips of Blake's damp hair, causing the occasional drop to rain down on the wooden bench.

Unlike Ruby, whose expression had fallen notably, the lack of positive reinforcement hadn't bothered Blake. If anything, the professors might have done her a favor. After her reckless, almost suicidal behavior, the last thing Yang needed was encouragement.

The sound of a locker getting slammed shut made Blake jump, but she quickly reminded herself that she had nothing to worry about.

Yang had been insistent that they were all in a need of a long and relaxing shower, but Blake had cut it short once again. Despite years of roaming the world like a nomad, she was a creature of habit, and the first few days in a new environment always put her on edge. The privacy of a dorm room and the routine of daily classes, training, and homework would soon overshadow her anxieties and help her settle in.

Knowing that was of no use in dealing with her current predicament though. She had promised Yang not to leave without her—apparently, it was only natural for partners to have dinner together—but the blond was unlikely to show up anytime soon.

Blake sighed again. She wasn't unprepared. Her locker held multiple unread books in case she ever found herself bored in the field. Unfortunately, they were taken from the bottom of the barrel—she wasn't comfortable with keeping anything of importance to her in a metal box meant to be sent into hostile territory by a rocket engine—which might have to change if Yang was going to keep making her wait.

Blake let her eyes drift over the spines lined up in front of her, but none of them caught her attention. Instead, she decided to put her time to a more sensible use by tending to Gambol Shroud. The years had shown it to be a very reliable weapon despite its mechanical complexity, but, after the beating it had taken out in the field, there was no need to tempt fate.

With the decision made, she grabbed the maintenance kit from her locker and spread the tools out in front of her. The ritual of disassembling and cleaning Gambol Shroud had been ingrained in her muscle memory over countless of iterations and required little conscious thought, which left her mind free to wander. The noise and chatter of students coming and going blended into the background as she went about her task until the mention of a familiar name cut right through it.

"Have you figured out who Yang's partner is?" a girl asked.

"Some gloomy girl nobody has ever heard of," another girl said.

Blake stopped what she was doing. They hadn't met anyone on the way back aside from some faculty members and the showers had been their first stop. How could anyone have found out about them already?

The thought was quickly overshadowed by footsteps closing in on her. Getting cornered by Yang's former classmates was not an experience she was looking forward to, but with Gambol Shroud in pieces, she was going nowhere.

"What about Pyrrha?" a third girl asked.

"Remember the guy who tried to hit on you yesterday?" the second girl asked.

"The lame guy in the blue onesie? You can't be serious."

"Totally serious."

"Man, that sucks."

The footsteps had almost reached Blake when they turned direction and walked down the aisle right next to hers. As they came to a halt and several lockers could be heard opening, Blake released a breath she had not been aware she had been holding.

"There's more," the second girl said. "The white-haired girl that tried to boss around Yang last night and slept next to that mountain of designer luggage isn't just any rich girl. She's the second daughter and current heiress of the Schnee family."

"As in Schnee Dust Company?" the first girl asked.

"As in the biggest provider of dust and one of the most powerful companies in the world!"

"I bet her partner is all set. There is no way they're going to fail the rich princess or her team and risk getting on the bad side of the SDC," the third said.

"You know who it is, don't you?" the first asked.

"You won't believe it," the second said, "but it's Yang's little sister."

"No way!" the third said. "The little brat was moved up two years and gets a free ride? What's so special about her anyway?"

The first sighed. "This blows. There are, like, three people who could have turned Beacon into a walk in the park for us, and we couldn't snatch up any of them."

"Never mind Pyrrha and the rich brat, but Yang? Isn't she one of us?" the third girl asked. "What is she doing partnering up with some random nobody?"

"She blew off the boys too," the second girl said.

"Yeah, but she was with the Schnee girl during the welcoming ceremony and in the ballroom," the first said.

The third girl scoffed. "Looks like she thinks she's moved up in the world. Too good for her old friends from Signal when there are rich heiresses around to hang out with."

Blake rolled her eyes. Yang and Weiss had been fighting every time their paths had crossed. How could her so-called friends miss that?

"She's always been a bit distant, hasn't she?" the first girl asked.

"True," the second said. "Besides, we might have missed out on getting partnered with any of the big names, but the race is still on as far as teammates are concerned."

Their discussion shifted towards which of the three girls would be the most useful to have on a team. Weiss seemed to be on the winning side by merit of her family name and fortune, but Blake missed the final tally as the girls left in the middle of their discussion.

Whatever conclusion they would arrive at, one thing was for certain: Pyrrha, Yang, and even Weiss deserved better than them. Given the baggage Blake was bringing to the table, could she truly consider herself a better choice though?

She sighed and pushed the thought aside. Partners had been chosen and team compositions were in the faculty's hands. Worrying about what couldn't be changed would achieve nothing.

* * *

Weiss was holding on to her favorite blow-dryer like it was her lifeline in the sea of frustration that was Beacon. It was a heavy-duty appliance produced by a subsidiary of her family's company that could be found in any beauty salon worth its salt all over Atlas. Of course, she hadn't seen many of them from the inside ever since her father had turned their home into what was supposed to be a secure fortress meant to keep his family safe.

She had waited for months, years even, to finally break free from it. Currently, however, she longed for her parental home and its luxurious baths. There was no better way to wash away the stress of the day than a long soak in her favorite honey and milk body wash infused with her personal blend of essential oils. A dingy shower stall was a poor replacement, but at least it had been clean and there seemed to be an unlimited supply of hot water.

She plugged in her blow-dryer and started to systematically dry her long white hair. The act was second nature to her and had an almost meditative quality.

Beacon, so far, had been marked by nothing but bad luck and frustration for the young heiress. The headmaster aside, everything bad that had happened to her had been linked to three people: Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, and, the most heinous of them all, Ruby Rose.

Ever since she had stepped off the airship, she hadn't been able to go anywhere without running into the little menace in the red hood and her blond brute of a sister.

Weiss wanted nothing more than to tell them to shut up and get lost. She wanted to spend the next four years in blissful ignorance of their existence. She wanted to be surrounded by people like Pyrrha Nikos. Beautiful, smart, stylish, talented, and well-mannered. Together they would have ruled the school. They would have dominated in academics and combat. They would have had fame and fortune. They would have been the perfect team.

But luck had not been on her side. Out of all the people she could have run into, it had to be Ruby Rose. A petulant child that had somehow wormed its way into Beacon years before its time.

Ruby was no Pyrrha—Weiss would have to come to terms with that—but she wasn't entirely useless either. She was crafty, a talented enough fighter, and, most importantly, young and naive. Once Weiss was in charge of their team—surely, no one was better suited to becoming team leader than a prodigy who had been groomed their entire life for a position of leadership in one of the biggest companies in existence—she would shape Ruby into a capable and reliable second-in-command. It might take a while, but the little girl would be putty in her hands, waiting to be molded into a masterpiece.

She might have to be extra careful around Ruby's blond brute of a sister though. Brains weren't her strong suit, but she had great instincts, a highly volatile temper, and a punch that could pulverize solid rock.

A very dangerous combination made worse by her partner. Blake had sharp eyes, and where Yang was flashy and on the nose, Blake was cautious and stealthy. Weiss had on more than one occasion lost track of her entirely only spot her later on hovering at her flank, just outside of arms reach.

As much as she didn't envy Blake for having to deal with the blond brute, she had to admit that their teamwork had been impressive. Only Nora and Ren, who had turned out to be childhood friends, had been able to match them.

Truth be told, initiation had not gone well for Weiss. While her skills had held up well enough against the giant grimm, she had barely gotten a chance to prove herself against the regular kind. The disastrous fight against a pack of beowolves was still weighing heavy on her mind. It had been Ruby's fault, obviously, but that didn't change the fact that they had ended up running away without killing even a single one of them.

Her survival skills had proven to be equally lacking. She was aware of the basics, but she had never given the topic priority in her curriculum. Why would she? As a member of the Schnee family, she wouldn't have been allowed to go on camping trips without an entourage of servants and armed guards that would have taken care of all the grunt work for her. It was an oversight she would have to rectify before their next field trip.

Weiss turned off her blow-dryer and sighed. It was almost time for dinner, and with it, her moment of peace and quiet would come to an end.

She studied herself in the mirror. Usually, she wouldn't leave the bathroom without being perfectly groomed and styled even this late in the day, but she didn't feel like making the effort. It might sound strange to most people, but it was a tiny bit of freedom she could claim for herself now that she had left her family's sphere of influence.

As long as she could remember, she had been expected to be flawless from early in the morning to late at night every day of the week. Her little act of defiance was all the more enjoyable for it. She would head out to have dinner in a crowded dining hall with her hair down and the last remnants of moisture drying naturally in the air. To anyone else, she would still look perfect, but she could tell the difference, which was all that mattered.

Weiss would try to look at the small triumphs in a more positive light. She didn't share the same connection with her partner that Blake and Yang seemed to, nor was Ruby her equal like Pyrrha would have been, but she had potential and Weiss had never shied away from a challenge.

She slipped into a simple white dress and nodded at her mirror-self in satisfaction. It was time to stop sulking about what had gone wrong and move on with life.

* * *

Blake hadn't kept track of the time, but it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes since Yang's classmates had left when an excited squeal caught her attention.

A wide-eyed Ruby, wearing rose-print sweats and a towel around her neck that kept her wet hair from dripping all over the place, was studying Blake's disassembled weapon like one would a work of art.

"I didn't get a chance to take a closer look with all the grimm trying to kill us, but it's quite impressive, isn't it?"

"Gambol Shroud," Blake said with a hint of pride.

Ruby hummed and sat down on the bench. "A heavy and a light blade attached to a semi-automatic pistol that can transform into a chain sickle. Effective at melee, short, and medium range." She knocked on the broad side of the cleaver blade that doubled as a sheath for the more nimble sword blade. "Sturdy enough to block claws and bullets, and those heavy duty ribbons make for a great way to move around the battlefield."

"It was designed with mobility and versatility in mind."

"I bet it takes a ton of maintenance," Ruby said absentmindedly. "Not that there's anything wrong with that! I have the same problem with Crescent Rose. Not that it's a problem. I mean, I love my baby, but combining a scythe with a high-powered sniper rifle in an unfolding stock I can easily strap to my back requires lots of moving parts that can jam at any moment if I don't keep them all cleaned and oiled up."

"Proper care is essential for all weapons, but it's worth the effort."

Ruby beamed at Blake and nodded enthusiastically.

"Still, there are times when I envy Yang. She wipes down Ember Celica, like, once a week, and it's never failed her."

"Ember Celica is a very simple design in comparison, but she should take better care of it than that."

"I keep telling her, 'Just because Ember Celica is built like a tank doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be treated right,' but Yang likes to cut corners whenever she can get away with it."

Blake smirked. Her first impression of the blond seemed to have been spot-on in that regard at least.

"Besides, it's not like she would be helpless without Ember Celica."

"It's a very unusual design," Blake said. "Most hand-to-hand weapons I've come across incorporate some sort of claws, blades, or gauntlets to strike with. Ember Celica seems to deliberately avoid obscuring Yang's fists."

Ruby's face lit up with pride. "There is a good reason for that. Yang's special, but that's for her to tell you."

Blake nodded. Facing what they had during their initiation might have sped up the progress, but they still had much to discover about each other. Unlike with Ruby and Weiss, she wasn't even sure if she had seen Yang's semblance in action yet.

"Ember Celica is more armor and utility than weapon," Ruby said. "Its design is as simple as it is beautiful. The heavy plating can take pretty much any punishment without so much as a scratch, and the two shotgun barrels provide a powerful, if a bit imprecise, short-to-medium-range weapon.

"What it's really about is the insane recoil she's using to add some oomph to her attacks or to move around the battlefield in bursts of speed that come close to my semblance."

Having witnessed the destruction Yang's fists had unleashed in the Emerald Forest, there was no doubt on her mind that her partner would be a force to be reckoned with even when caught unarmed or out of ammunition.

"Oh, just in case you feel the urge to give it a spin, don't."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Yang doesn't like people playing with her toys?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Though, she doesn't let other people use Ember Celica anymore. Not since _that_ time. But everyone knows about that. It's sort of one of Signal's legends."

Unless one didn't go to Signal.

Ruby's face lit up in realization. "Unless you didn't go to Signal. Which you didn't or else I'd at least have seen you before, and you would have known Yang."

Blake smiled and nodded.

"Right. Well, there was this guy at Signal that was always on Yang's case. At first, it was all about sports. He kept challenging her, like, every other day at all kinds of stuff, and she beat him every time."

"Hardly surprising."

"I know, right? You don't challenge my sister at anything physical and expect to get out on top, but some people just don't get it." Ruby sighed. "Things escalated in their second year after Yang had built Ember Celica. He went after it, going on about how it was impractical and how every mass-produced, off-the-rack gauntlet would be a better weapon. The nerve! Can you believe that?"

Blake shook her head, trying to appease Ruby. Judging Ember Celica out of context though, she would have to agree with the guy. Most weapons were designed to allow their users to conserve their aura without limiting their offensive potential, while Ember Celica's contribution to combat seemed to be situational and ammo-limited.

"Not that it bothered Yang, at first," Ruby said. "I mean, if someone was to insult my baby like that, they would have another thing coming, but Yang has no interest in weapon design. Unless she needs some spare parts or repairs, I doubt she'll ever touch a workbench again. Even then, she'd probably just ask me to do it for her."

Ruby hummed. "I could sneak in some improvements while I'm at it, but Ember Celica just doesn't break, like, ever." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Maybe I should just sabotage it. She usually doesn't let it out of her sight, but now that we keep our weapons in the RPLs, all I'd have to do is pick one of those electronic locks. Shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"Couldn't you just talk to her about it?"

"I suppose so," Ruby said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Anyway, for a while, Yang just ignored the guy, but he kept pestering her." She checked over both her shoulders and lowered her voice. "Just between us, it was getting to her. One day after school, I found her standing over the sandy remains of her favorite punching bag, mumbling something about that annoying guy that just wouldn't leave her alone.

"In the end, he got what he wanted: a chance to prove that Ember Celica was a poorly designed and inferior weapon." Ruby snorted. "As if! Still, Yang let him have a go. He put it on, threw one punch," she threw a straight right at no one in particular, "and the recoil broke his arm."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"It's true! And he wasn't a weakling either. He wasn't, like, body-builder strong," Ruby struck a pose with both her arms raised, "but athlete strong. Well trained?"

Blake nodded. It was their second year at a combat school. Even without any prior experience, he would have been in decent shape by that point.

"His arm snapped clean in half like a dried twig. There were bones sticking out and everything. I didn't believe it either, but Dad saw the whole thing."

"Your father was at Signal when it happened?"

"Yeah. Both Dad and Uncle Qrow are huntsmen and teachers there."

"I see."

"Some of the teachers actually wanted to take Ember Celica away from Yang, but Dad and Uncle Qrow didn't let them."

"It does sound like restricting its usage during training would have been a sensible precaution."

Ruby nodded. "Anyone but Yang was forbidden from using it and they limited the dust payload of her shells."

"So she got rid of her rival and was allowed to keep her weapon. Sounds like a happy ending."

Ruby shook her head. "By the time he had healed up and finished designing his own weapon—some bat-gun combo, not very creative if you ask me—Yang had built up quite a reputation. She was, like, undefeated and they let her fight the older kids.

"He didn't like that. There was some long-winded speech during lunch break about how Yang must have been cheating and how it was all nepo…" Ruby scrunched her brows.

"Nepotism?"

"Yes, that! Yang was fed up with him by that point. I mean, she had spent her entire first year knocking him down, and after he had broken his arm, she had even taken me out for ice cream to celebrate." Ruby sighed and let her shoulders slump. "He just had to start the whole thing up again."

He was starting to sound less like a rival and more like a boy with a crush but no idea how to deal with it. Not that that came as much of a surprise to Blake. A girl like Yang was bound to leave a string of broken hearts wherever she went.

"He challenged her to a fight in front of everyone. It was supposed to be the great debut of his weapon, proving his superiority as an engineer and a fighter." Ruby hummed. "You can probably still look it up. There were, like, a dozen videos of it online by the time lunch break was over."

Yang's second year at Signal? A glimpse at her partner at the cusp of puberty was a tempting prospect to Blake that might even provide her with some ammunition. Just in case.

"He completely missed how annoyed Yang had been at the time."

"That doesn't bode well for him."

"You can say that again! Dad actually let me come along that day to watch the fight. Which was awesome, even though he tried to turn it into this whole lecture about overconfidence and arrogance."

"Nepotism at work?" Blake asked with a smirk.

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously, a gesture that seemed to run in the family.

"I was about to go Signal the next year anyway, so it wasn't that much of a special treatment.

"Right."

"The fight was something else though. It was the first time I'd seen Yang fight seriously. I mean, I'd seen her fight before—I even got to spar with her sometimes—but she always had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes as if she was having fun."

Hardly surprising given her reaction to a couple of ursi trying to maul her, or a giant deathstalker trying to run her through, or a giant nevermore trying to swallow her whole. All of which, generally speaking, should have been considered less than desirable positions to find oneself in, but Yang could have fooled Blake.

"It was the first time I had seen her without it. Yang was in no mood to play games, and the fight, well, it wasn't really a fight. There was a loud bang that overshadowed the starting signal, and she was all like hooowaaah and watchaaa!"

Ruby's attempt to mimic Yang's moves was comical at best.

"The best the guy could do was flail around his bat and hope to hit something by accident. It didn't work. When the teacher called the fight, his weapon was broken and Yang's fist was, like, half an inch from his nose. A moment later, and she would have buried him in the gym wall.

Ruby shook her head. "He never messed with her again, and by the time he was back from the infirmary, another Signal legend inspired by Yang had been born. One of many…"

There was a bitter note in Ruby's voice that had caught Blake's attention. "Not all of them were favorable?"

Ruby must have noticed her slip up and tried to return to her happy persona. She failed and gave into her mood with a sigh. "They weren't. Some of them were just bizarre, like, there was this test of courage where people had to annoy her. It was like, 'you have to spend fifteen minutes during lunch break doing whatever you can to get on her nerves.'"

"That sounds awful and very dangerous."

"It was ridiculous! And Yang was the one who ended up in detention whenever one of those idiots actually managed to get under her skin."

Since getting under Yang's skin most likely included a trip to the infirmary after getting punched in the face, that didn't come as much of a surprise to Blake.

"By the time she graduated, there were tons of stories floating around about her. Yang was very popular, but she was sort of a rebel." Ruby scrunched her brows. "That's not it. She just gets bored easily, and sometimes she does stupid things just because they sound fun."

"No doubt about that." And another thing to watch out for.

"Not all of it was bad though. Yang was, like, the best at everything—sports, fights, being friends, all the stuff people care about—which only added to the pressure put on me."

"How so?" Blake asked.

"Dad, Mom, my entire family—what little of it there was—graduated from Beacon. Which is great, but people never let you forget about it. If everybody expects you to be extraordinary, it's hard to live up to their expectations, and they can be very mean about it."

Blake nodded. She's had her fair share of experience with the burden of well-meaning but misguided expectations during her childhood. It was not something she had fond memories of.

"By the time I came around, Yang had left her own mark, and I never managed to live up to her. Even if I was the best in my year at something, somebody would always point out that Yang had been better.

"I couldn't even beat her at speed, and that's my thing! I'm really, really fast. With my semblance. Without it, I'm just a short kid with stubby legs, while Yang, well, you've seen her. People still expected me to be faster. I never was."

Ruby lowered her eyes to the floor. "I know it's not Yang's fault. She always cheered me on, always congratulated me without comparing me to herself or anyone else. She even beat up a few people who wouldn't let it go when all she wanted was to go and celebrate with me." For a moment, Ruby beamed with sisterly pride like she used to, but it didn't last. "It's not fair of me to blame Yang for the expectations of other people, but sometimes I can't help it."

"I'm sure Yang understands."

"I know she does. Still feel bad about it, but," Ruby perked up, her smile back in place, "that's what I love about coming to Beacon with Yang. Aside from being able to come to Beacon with Yang, of course," she added in a mumble.

The shy admission made Blake smile.

"There are no legends here—no teachers I'm related to, no notorious big sister whose shoes I could never fill—there is only me and Yang on even grounds, starting at the same time. She's probably still going to beat me at everything we do, but that's fine with me as long as I get to play."

The happy excitement on her face was enough to convince Blake that Ruby would be fine, no matter what she would have to face, as long as her sister was around.

"Oh! You shouldn't get the wrong idea," Ruby said. "Signal is a great school, and I had loads of fun there. Sometimes people just got to me, and I always wanted to be a huntress.

"So, you know, It's not that I didn't want to be at Signal, but that I couldn't wait for the day I would be able to come here. Being told that I could be moved up and come with my sister was, like, the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me, even if it meant that I had to leave my friends behind."

The notion of friends brought the conversation Blake had overheard earlier back to her mind. "What about Yang?"

Ruby looked confused. "She wanted to be a huntress too."

Blake shook her head. "I was wondering about her time at Signal. Did she enjoy it?"

"I think so," Ruby said with a hum. "She got to fight a lot, and she got lots of special training with Dad. Plus, she had, like, a ton of friends. She was always surrounded by people who looked up to her. She even got to bring a bunch of them along." Ruby sighed. "It must be nice to know people already when you're coming to a new school."

That was the part that didn't add up. Between Yang and her so-called friends, neither side seemed to behave like there was any love lost between them.

"Where are the two slowpokes anyway?" Ruby asked.

"Still in the showers, I believe." Yang, at least, was or Blake would have been picked up.

"I know!" Ruby scrunched her nose and checked her scroll. "How do they not get bored just standing under a stream of hot water for ages?"

"I have no idea."

"You know what? Ten minutes, that's all they get before we leave them behind. If our partners would rather turn into shower prunes than have a hot meal with us, that's their problem, not ours."

Blake thought it over. She might have promised Yang to wait, but granola bars and some jerky on the run had not made for a satisfying lunch. Besides, it was Ruby's idea. Yang wouldn't be mad at her adorable little sister, would she?

"Ten minutes it is."

* * *

Weiss had barely entered the locker room when she was assaulted by her partner's voice chatting away about complete dribble. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Ruby seemed to have cornered Blake while she had been waiting as promised. A promise nobody had asked for.

Well, at least Yang was absent. The blond brute rarely stayed quiet no matter how little she had to contribute. Blake, on the other hand, had made a far more pleasant impression. She was smart, and whenever she opened her mouth there was a point to it beyond ruining perfectly good silence with inane chatter or stupid jokes. While their interactions had been sparse and almost universally accompanied by either of their partners, Weiss could see herself enjoying Blake's company.

She put her bag away in her locker despite her reservations towards the bizarre rocket-powered device. Whatever security it provided had to be superior to leaving her bag on display in the middle of the ballroom. She shook her head and closed her locker. It was just another one of the new experiences she would have to learn to deal with at Beacon. Even her family's money and influence weren't enough to buy her special treatment at the elite academy. Not that she would ever consider sullying her academic record with ill-gotten grades, but she wouldn't have been opposed to getting a room of her own at least.

With her bag stowed away, she followed Ruby's voice towards the back of the locker room. A pair of bright amber eyes homed in on her as she rounded the corner to Blake's section. They greeted her with a look of apprehension that vanished almost immediately. Weiss had caught that look in Blake's eyes before. She had been distracted by Ruby at the time, but she could have sworn that Blake had looked at her the same way even as far back as their first meeting at the airship terminal.

Weiss was no naive little girl. She was well aware that there was some truth to the rumors and complaints about her family's business methods, which had earned them a lot of ill will despite all the good the SDC had done for the world. If Blake was one of the many people holding a grudge against her family, getting on good terms with her would be an uphill battle. Still, given the lack of better or even just comparable options, it was a battle she couldn't avoid.

"Weiss," Blake said.

Ruby stopped her rant about the advantages and disadvantages of two different kinds of ammunition sleds she could have used in her sniper-scythe and turned around with a happy smile on her face.

"Weiss! You made it in time!"

Weiss blinked. "In time for what?"

"Dinner!" Ruby said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Looks like Yang is the only one who's going to be left behind."

"There was no reason to wait for me in the first place. I'm perfectly capable of having dinner by myself."

"But we're partners," Ruby said with a pout. "We should have dinner together."

Weiss put a hand on her hip and gave Ruby a stern look. "We should study and train together, but there is no need for us to spend our free time in each other's company."

Ruby's pout grew more intense.

Weiss would have preferred to have dinner with Blake alone. Given some privacy, she might be able to get behind the reason for the girl's apprehension towards her, but with Ruby around, any attempt of delving into Blake's affairs was likely to cause more harm than good. "Well," she said with a sigh, "since you are still here, we might as well get it over with."

Ruby's expression jumped back to a wide smile without dropping a beat. The girl's mood was far too erratic for Weiss's taste.

"Actually," Blake said, "I'm going to wait for Yang after all. She is my partner, and I would feel bad for ditching her after I promised to wait."

Weiss eyed her skeptically.

"She totally deserves it for wasting ages in the shower," Ruby said. "And I was kind of looking forward to having dinner with you."

Blake smiled gently. "You have your own partner to worry about, and there will be many chances for us to have dinner together."

"I suppose so."

"Besides, I'm sure Yang wants to join you. We'll find you as soon as she's done, either in the dining hall or the ballroom. You share a spot, and I get the feeling that I'll be coerced into moving before the night is over."

Ruby laughed and got up from the bench. "You can bet on that. Now that you're her partner, Yang is not going to let you sit alone in your corner." She was about to leave when she turned back. "Now that I think about it, I'm surprised she didn't try that last night already."

Weiss blinked in surprise as Blake averted her eyes with what looked like the hint of a blush on her face.

"Oh! That's why she sent me away," Ruby said with a mischievous smile. "She totally tried to get you to move over to our camp."

"She might have."

"But you didn't. Not that I blame you! I guess we didn't make the best impression by bothering you while you were trying to read and causing a scene."

"No, you didn't," Blake said, making Ruby sink in on herself even more. "But that wasn't the reason. It was getting late and I had no intention of packing and moving across the hall if all I was going to do was to turn in for the night."

"That makes sense, I suppose."

Weiss cleared her throat. "I believe you were hungry enough to complain about my late arrival what feels like half an hour ago, but since you would rather continue your conversation, I'll take my leave and have dinner by myself."

She turned on her heels and walked away towards the exit without giving Ruby the chance to reply.

"Weiss! Wait up!"

A devious smirk formed on Weiss's lips as she heard Ruby jogging up behind her. The girl had been in need of a reminder as to who was in charge in their partnership. It was only the first step on a very long road, but Weiss Schnee always got what she wanted in the end.

* * *

With Gambol Shroud reassembled, Ruby and Weiss gone, and Yang still at large, Blake had run out of options on how to pass the time waiting for her partner and had settled for a book after all. It was hardly a masterpiece—not that she had expected as much from an impulse buy found in a bargain bin—but despite a poor first chapter, Blake wasn't going to give up on it. She never had unless a book was lost before she could finish it, and even then, she usually kept her eyes open for another copy. Being a fast reader, it would only take her a couple of Yang's lengthy showers to get through it anyway, and she might even be able to flip it for a profit at a used book shop once she was done with it.

The thought made her smile. For the first time since her childhood days, she was about to have stable living arrangements. She could find herself a favorite bookshop, become a regular customer, and befriend the owner. She might even be able to find herself a part-time job. It couldn't be much more than a couple of hours on weekends, but it would allow her to enjoy the atmosphere while earning some much-needed spending money.

Beacon was an all-expenses-paid kind of school—hunters were too important to the survival of the kingdoms to limit their training to those who could afford it—but even with room and board paid for in full, there were bound to be expenses that wouldn't be covered by the small stipend provided by the academy.

While Blake would have been content with spending most of her time at the academy, she had the suspicion that Yang wasn't the kind of person to sit still for long. Her partner was bound to drag her all over Vale, stretching her meager budget to the breaking point in the name of having fun.

Blake sighed and put her book down. She hadn't so much as turned a page in minutes. Instead, she had been fantasizing about hanging out in town with friends and working an ordinary job to make her living when all it would take for her new life to fall apart was for the wrong person to recognize her on the street. She should follow her original plan and hole herself in at Beacon, but that ship had sailed…

The off-key rendition of a familiar melody made Blake's ears twitch involuntarily. It was the same melody that had driven her out of the showers the day before. How had she not put two and two together?

Blake's lips curled up in a smirk as the humming got closer. She picked up her book and made sure to sound as disinterested as possible. "Ruby dodged a bullet with her love for stories. Imagine the nightmares she would have suffered if you had tried to sing her to sleep instead."

The humming stopped, but the footsteps continued getting closer. Moments later, Blake noticed movement in the corner of her eyes. A curtain of blond hair was dangling in front of her as Yang peeked around the lockers.

The intense look on her face had Blake's act slowly unravel. Had she made a mistake? She had poked fun at Yang once or twice before which had worked out fine, but they barely knew each other. Had Yang just put up with it because they had been out in the field? That didn't sound right to Blake, but it wasn't like she had much of a point of reference. She should have stuck with what she was good at, and fooling around with friends was not it.

"Blake?"

She took a deep breath and put her book down.

"Did you just make a joke at my expense?"

"Yes?" Blake said, sounding more timid than she had intended.

For a moment, it looked like Yang's face was splitting in half as it lit up in a beaming smile. "I knew you cold do it!"

"What?"

Yang pushed away from the lockers and walked over to her own on the other side of the room. "I knew you would loosen up once initiation was over. I get it, you know. Exams drive everyone out of their skin, and, if you think about it, the whole initiation thing was nothing but an extension of the entrance exams. In a life-and-death kind of way."

That wasn't the issue, but Blake wasn't going to risk her lucky break by arguing the details.

Yang opened her locker and started rummaging through it. She was pulling things out and shoving them back in haphazardly. "But now it's over, and there is nothing for us to do until classes start. We're clean, relaxed, and free to play around!"

She stopped looking for whatever it was she had managed to lose in her locker within a day of owning it and peeked around its door. "Even you had to lose your super-serious attitude eventually," she said with a smirk before diving back inside.

Blake was stumped. She had completely misread her partner and worried about nothing.

"Challenge accepted, by the way."

"What was that?" Blake asked, not sure if she had heard correctly. Yang's voice had been muffled from having her head stuck in her locker.

The blond gave up her fruitless quest and shoved the remainder of her things back inside. She slammed the door shut with more force than necessary and wandered over towards Blake. "I need to have a word with the guy in charge of assigning lockers. Shouting all over the room to have a conversation is no fun. Why would they spread us out randomly but make such a fuss over assigning dorm rooms anyway?"

Blake couldn't help but smile. Team based living quarters, in which they would spend a large portion of the next four years, and weapon lockers, which were nothing but a pit stop whenever they needed their equipment, were hardly comparable, but she was learning quickly that relying on common sense was misleading when dealing with either of the sisters. Somehow Yang would make sure that they would have lockers within a few feet of each other in no time.

"You mentioned some challenge?" Blake asked.

Yang struck a pose, her legs wide apart, one hand on her hip, the other pointing at Blake. "I am going to make you sing for me!" she said with a foreboding smirk. "If you aren't any good there will be relentless teasing in order to teach you a lesson about making fun of people without being able to back it up."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "I don't sing."

Yang hummed. "That won't do. But don't worry. It's nothing some good old karaoke won't fix. I know this place with a stage, rainbow-colored spots, and a fog machine. It's awesome!"

Blake shot her a dark look. "Which part of 'I don't sing' makes you think that I would go up on a stage and sing in front of an audience?"

"Aw. Well, we can always go to a place with private booths."

Blake eyed her skeptically.

"Don't look at me like that. We can make a group outing out of it. We'll have a mountain of junk food and soda, and make fun of each other while we sing silly songs. Ruby will love it, and we might even get Weiss to come along. Who knows, she might be good company after we slip her a few drinks."

Blake had barely opened her mouth to protest when she was cut off.

"And don't say, 'I don't sing.' You don't even have to if you really don't want to. It's all about blowing off steam, having some fun, and not taking life all that seriously once in a while."

Yang plopped down on the bench next to Blake. "Of course, I can't let you get away with insulting my musical talent unless you prove that you can do better. If you don't sing at least one song, I'll just have to find other ways of punishing you."

Blake sighed. "Fine, as long as it stops you from driving me out of the showers, I can make a sacrifice. In private."

Yang looked at her in confusion.

"I caught yesterday's performance."

"Oh. That bad, huh?" Yang asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

Blake nodded.

"Well, you should have said something. I'm not that unreasonable, you know?"

"I was nearly done anyway."

Yang hummed, apparently not satisfied with the answer. "So," she said after an uncomfortable pause, "where's the little cookie monster? And the rich princess, for that matter."

"They came through here a while ago. Ruby got impatient. Weiss got annoyed. They both left to have dinner together."

"That's good to hear," Yang said with a smile. "Honestly, I was a bit worried about them being partners since Weiss had been on Ruby's case from the start, but it looks like things are sorting themselves out nicely."

"I'm not sure about that. Weiss doesn't seem to be interested in getting along with anyone aside from Pyrrha. She didn't get what she wanted, and your sister might end up suffering the consequences."

"Yeah, Weiss might be a bit cranky about missing out on her girl crush, but I don't think it's all that bad. Once they got over themselves, they made for a pretty good team."

Blake nodded.

"They're both strong," Yang continued. "Ruby is amazing with that oversized scythe of hers, she just didn't have her head in the game at first, and Weiss, well, I guess it's no surprise that the heiress of a dust company knows how to use the stuff."

Skill never was the issue where Weiss was concerned. As a Schnee, she was bound to have been drilled from an early age in order to be able to properly represent her family name. "It's her personality I'm worried about. Ruby is younger than the rest of us, and I don't like the idea of Weiss stepping all over her because of it."

Much to Blake's surprise, Yang laughed. "As much as I appreciate you looking out for my little sister, I don't think you need to worry about her."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Ruby might not show it, but she's not the innocent, naive little girl she appears to be. I wish she could have been for a while longer, but life doesn't always play out the way we want it to."

The sad tone in Yang's voice had Blake worried. It was too reminiscent of the way she had seen Ruby not too long ago.

"Point is, Ruby really wants to be friends with Weiss. She wanted to even before they became partners, and she won't stop until she gets there."

"Just wanting it might not be enough when it comes to Weiss."

"Nah," Yang waved her off, "it will be. Everyone who spends enough time with Ruby comes to love her—that's just who she is—and Weiss is officially forced to be close to her. Ruby will break her and bring her around. It might take a while—there will be shouting and fighting, maybe even tears—but it will happen, and they will be the best of friends."

Blake was far less optimistic where the arrogant heiress was concerned, but for Ruby's sake, she could only hope that Yang's prediction would hold true.

Yang got up from the bench and stretched with a groan. The short tank top she was wearing rode up dangerously far. In combination with her tight shorts and nothing much else, very little was left to the imagination.

Beneath her sinfully feminine curves lay a body that had been sculpted to perfection by years of physical activity. There wasn't an ounce of superfluous fat or blown-up muscles to be found. Yang Xiao Long, from the top of her flaming head to the tip of her toes, was a lean and powerful weapon built to run for hours at peak performance.

Endurance, however, could never replace a hunter's aura. A day of strenuous physical activity and several intense fights seemed to have had next to no effect on Yang despite the strain they must have caused on her aura. The insane stunt she had pulled against the deathstalker alone would have pushed most people's aura to the breaking point. It should have gotten her killed. Shrugging it off with a couple of deep breaths and continuing on as if nothing had happened was surreal.

Clearly, Blake was missing something about her partner. Her first instinct had been a strength-based semblance similar to Ruby's enhanced speed, but it didn't add up. There had to be more than that.

Ruby had hinted at Yang being special. It would be easy to brush it off as a little sister's devotion to her older sibling, but Blake's gut—damn Yang for putting that into her head—was inclined to believe her.

Whispers of rare and unusual semblances weren't uncommon among those developing their aura—after all, a person's semblance had a significant influence on their abilities and what direction their training would take—but they were nothing but silly dreams and campfire stories. Only, what if they weren't?

"—you hear me?"

Blake snapped out of her thoughts only to find Yang standing square in front of her with both hands on her hips. "Finally! Someone must really like what they're seeing," she said with a smirk.

Heat rose to Blake's cheeks as she realized that she had been caught staring, which made Yang laugh.

"Don't worry. I'm used to people staring. I hardly notice it anymore unless," she leaned in close enough for Blake to feel her warm breath graze her skin, "I end up asking the same question over and over again without getting an answer."

Blake felt very self-conscious and leaned back, hoping that some more distance would let the heat in her cheeks fade away. All it achieved was to bring her partner's cleavage into perfect view. "Sorry, what was that?" she asked, making an effort to keep eye contact.

"Dinner. Are you ready to head out to the dining hall," Yang leaned in even closer and whispered into Blake's ear, "or would you rather skip to dessert?"

Blake tried to scurry away from her partner, who was entirely too close for comfort, but didn't get far before she hit the wall at her back. The heat in her cheeks had turned into to a raging wildfire. "I…" she stammered.

Yang laughed. "Relax. I'm just pulling your leg."

Blake nodded.

"I wouldn't pounce on a girl like you in some locker room," Yang said with a wink that did nothing to calm Blake's racing heart or clarify the situation.

The spell was broken by a loud growl. "Or on an empty stomach," Yang added, patting her exposed midriff. "Do you realize that we haven't had a decent meal since breakfast? They really should have given us a goody bag before they threw us to wolves."

Blake laughed and relaxed. That was more like the Yang she knew.

"So are we going, or what?" Yang asked.

"You're going like that?"

"Lots of people are wearing their sweats around campus."

"Most people's sweats cover more than their underwear."

Blake wasn't sure why she tried to argue the point. Nothing she had seen Yang wear had been modest by any definition of the word, and it wasn't any of her business in the first place, but the thought of an entire dining hall of hormonal teenagers gawking at her half-naked partner rubbed her the wrong way.

"Yeah, well, once classes start, they're going to force us to wear their stuffy school uniforms around the place. Gotta take what little freedom I can get before they take it all away."

Blake caught her hand trying to touch her bow. She jerked it back without thinking, which did not go unnoticed by Yang.

"Suit yourself," Blake said and got up from the bench, hoping to avoid any questions.

"Okay," Yang said with a hint of disappointment in her voice, but she let it go. "I'm starting to get really hungry. You don't think they'll let us have more than one main course, do you? We got a decent workout out there, and a girl's gotta keep up her strength."

Blake eyed her partner as she closed her locker. Decent workout? Most people would have called it excessive at the least. "Come on then," she said, walking towards the exit. "You can always ask or come back later and hope there are leftovers."

"Oh!" Yang said as she caught up. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe I can get a midnight snack to go."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And there we are. _Part Three: Moving In_ has finally kicked off. I am not going to even try and make excuses for the delay or give any more deadlines in the future. It should have been out a long time ago. It wasn't. I'm sorry.

Now, the first draft of this note used to be a collection of rants almost as long as the chapter itself, which, frankly, would have been insane to upload. So I'll just leave you with the conclusion:

I am not happy with what's going on in canon and my resolve in my original mission statement is diminishing by the second. I am not going to drop this story, nor am I going to make any significant changes to the main plot of the first two volumes, but I can't make any promises beyond that.

Despite all the bitching I've done (and will do in the future), I do like the first two volumes. They introduced an interesting world, fun characters, and didn't have any plot to speak of, which is a perfect basis for the fun, slice-of-life fluff I'm interested in.

I didn't like the third volume at all, though. At best, it's a horrible mess (don't write drama if you can't write plot), at worst, it's the culmination of the _RWBY_ long con (thanks genre shift trope for ruining yet another show for me).

As for the fourth volume, it introduced some useful (and some problematic) background information, but it did nothing to convince me that the show might have any chance of finding its way back to form or that the atrocity that is Blake/Sun is not going to be canon…

Truth is, if I wasn't writing this story I would have dropped _RWBY_ with the third volume and would just stick with _RWBY Chibi_. (Which is awesome!)

Comments and Responses

A quick note on anonymous comments or comments made by users that were not logged in. FanFiction does _not_ allow me to reply to those, and I don't want to add a regular Q &A section to the chapters themselves as I'm hoping to cut down on the length of my author's notes in general.

Unless issues are raised that my brain just can't let go, I will ignore anonymous users in the future. Please log in. It's free, and I do enjoy the back and forth that can develop from it, which, in fact, is very helpful for the creative process and for my motivation.

That being said, it's a new rule, and we do have one of those exceptions at hand, so here we go. This is for Sean Bruce from FanFiction:

I'm not spoiling the beans as to if or when Yang and Pyrrha will "duke it out", but I wouldn't be worried about it. Both are exceptional fighters in their own right, and letting one of them clearly dominate the other wouldn't be fair to either of them.

Details about Yang and Glynda's relationship will be revealed starting with the fourth part.

Now on to the offending statement: All fans of Yang's dislike the fight between Yang and Neo in _Volume Two_.

I consider Yang to be my favorite character, and I like her fight with Neo, very much so. There you go. Disproved by basic logic.

I will spare you the full explanation, which was written months ago and had turned into a five-thousand word essay, and leave you with the only slightly more detailed answer instead.

The fight between Yang and Neo by itself might seem like it doesn't make much sense, but in context, it is one of Yang's best and most important moments in the show.

Yang, up to that point, was portrayed as an unstoppable juggernaut. That fight, however, shows off several of her major weaknesses in one well crafted character subplot without any exposition or lengthy explanations. Just go back and watch the Mountain Glenn arc. Pay attention to the timeline and everything that happens to and around Yang. It's all there if you look closely enough.

Not only is it not a moment any fan of Yang's should hate, but it is by far the best of the three final arcs if we look at them from Yang's (and to a lesser degree Blake's) perspective.

Look at Stray Cat. A horrible mess that has both Yang (sitting around for the entire weekend without lifting a finger or worrying) and Blake (spilling her guts to some stranger because he's faunus and a forced and ill-advised love interest) behave utterly ridiculous and out of character. Not to mention the many other flaws. It is the arc that inspired me to write this story, and it needs to be fixed. I'm not claiming that my version will turn out better, but at least I have to try, right?

Look at Battle of Beacon. A horrible mess, once again. If you break it down into its basic elements and plot points, it's almost a carbon copy of Stray Cat that repeats every major mistake and then some. It's a complete waste from Yang and Blake's perspective that used Yang as a throwaway plot device sledgehammer to break up the team.

In conclusion: _Volume Two_ (including the Neo fight) did most things right as far as Yang is concerned, while _Volume One_ , in part, and _Volume Three_ , as a whole, are horrible messes. If you want to hate a Yang moment, go look there. There's plenty of them around.

That is all.


	12. Sleepover

**Sleepover**

Dinner had gone off without a hitch, and the girls were on their way back to the ballroom where they would settle in for their last unattached night at Beacon. The same time the next day, they would know their teammates and have moved into their new homes. But that was then. Now, they were still free to mingle with whomever they liked and sleep wherever they wanted to. Yang intended to make full use of that privilege for some long overdue sisterly bonding. Sisterly bonding plus two, that was—they couldn't just ignore their newfound partners—but in order to do so, some moving was required.

She glanced at Weiss who was walking next to Ruby in silence. Blake was unlikely to give her any trouble, but trying to convince the stuck-up princess to move could go all kinds of wrong. A twisted arm or two might be necessary to pull it off, which meant that Ruby couldn't be anywhere near them at the time.

As they closed in on the hall monitor's desk, Yang put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Go get yourself a sleeping bag."

The hint of a smirk on her partner's lips told Yang everything she needed to know. She grabbed Ruby's attention by rustling her hair. "You go and help her move her stuff. Just push my things out of the way, and let her have the spot next to the wall. She likes to be cozy."

Ruby nodded. "Right, but she's your partner. Shouldn't you be the one helping her move?"

"I'm sure she would like to," Blake said, "but someone has to haul Weiss's luggage. That's more up Yang's alley."

"Excuse me? Who said anything about moving?" Weiss asked.

"We did, as a group, by majority vote," Yang said.

Weiss's eyes narrowed. "There was no vote, and even if there had been, I would never have agreed to be part of it."

"Oh, don't worry," Yang said. "Your vote has been counted. It's two against one in favor of you moving. Unless Ruby objects, there is nothing you can do about it." She turned to her little sister without waiting for a response. "Do I have to figure out what happens in case of a draw?"

Ruby looked at Weiss from the corner of her eyes. "It would be nice if she came over and joined us, but—"

"Good," Yang jumped in. "That's three yaes, one nay. The motion carries." She took one quick glance at Blake, making sure her partner understood what part she had to play, and stormed off with Weiss hot on her heels.

"Where do you think you're going? Don't you dare touch my belongings, you brute!"

* * *

Ruby watched her sister and her partner storm off with a frown. Leaving the two of them by themselves felt like a disaster waiting to happen. She could only hope that they wouldn't come to blows in the middle of the ballroom.

No, if Weiss's balled fists and steaming ears were any indication, it was way too dangerous to leave them alone. Blake would have to manage without her or wait until Weiss was taken care of.

Ruby had barely taken a step Weiss and Yang's direction when she felt a hand on her arm, dragging her towards the hall monitor.

"Don't worry about them," Blake said. "I'm sure Yang knows what she's doing."

"You are?"

"No."

Ruby stared at her and blinked. With one last look over her shoulder, she stepped up to Blake, who let go of her arm.

"Getting along with your partner must be nice."

"I'm sure you and Weiss will work out your differences eventually."

Ruby nodded. "Looking at you and Yang, I can't help but feel a bit envious though. You haven't been together any longer than we have, but it feels like you've been partners forever."

A small smile appeared on Blake's lips. "It's too early to tell, but we seem to be surprisingly well matched."

They stepped up to the hall monitor's desk, which was manned by a dark-haired boy dressed in Beacon's school uniform. He seemed to be too busy playing some game on his scroll to pay them any attention.

The ubiquitous phone and tablet design consisted of two solid pieces that could be pulled apart much like a scroll of paper. It had taken the marked by storm some years ago due to its smaller footprint and greater flexibility compared to regular touchscreen devices, but the translucent screen did little to protect the user's privacy.

Ruby watched as an inverted ursa head crashed into a wooden fort, crumbling it in one shot and killing all of its inhabitants. Perfect score and the perfect moment to deal with his customers. He didn't. A new fort appeared on screen, and a beowolf head, showing a toothy grin, hopped into a giant slingshot.

"I need a sleeping bag," Blake said before the boy could launch the impatiently waiting projectile.

The harsh tone caught Ruby off guard. Having spent some time with Blake over the day, she had almost forgotten about the hostile girl that had tried to fend off Yang's advances the night before.

The hall monitor looked up, visibly annoyed by the interruption, only to find himself on the receiving end of an unwavering glare.

Towering over their seated senior with an air of authority, Blake was an impressive sight. She stood almost as tall as Yang, and between her toned body, lithe frame, and long legs, she was the perfect blend of feminine beauty and deadly grace.

Ruby felt inadequate in comparison. Being two years younger than everyone else was bad enough, but standing next to people like Yang or Blake seemed to widen the gap even further. At least she didn't have that problem with Weiss. Her own partner might come across all fancy and adult with her expensive clothes and snooty attitude, but Ruby had a leg up on her in every other aspect. A very tiny leg, like that of a cricket, but she took what she could get.

The staring match came to an end as the hall monitor got up with a groan. He fetched one of the sleeping bags from the pile behind him, dropped it on the desk, and returned to his game without paying them any more attention. Blake picked it up and left, following his example.

Ruby scurried after her, studying the silent girl. She might have doubts about her own choice, but Blake and Yang felt like the very thing the headmaster had been talking about before sending them off into the forest. Experience, fighting style, personality, intensity; not only did they complement each other, but Blake had been able to match Yang every step of the way.

"Were you trying to get paired up with Yang?"

Blake looked at Ruby in apprehension.

"You don't have to tell me. I mean, I was looking for her, but I'm not angry or anything that you found her first. And I can totally understand why you would want her as a partner. She's amazing, and, well, I guess I would feel a little better about it if you actually wanted to be her partner rather than just having run into her by accident."

Blake's expression relaxed. "There were a few candidates I had considered, but I wasn't entirely happy with any of them."

"Oh, was I on the list?"

"Yes, you and Yang both were. Our introductions might have been a mixed experience, but you must have left an impression."

Ruby smiled bashfully. A mixed experience was one way of describing the train wrecks that had been her explosive meeting with Weiss and Yang's forced attempt to make friends with Blake.

"So, you went into the Emerald Forest looking for Yang?"

"Something like that. As she put it, our guts made the choice for us before we even left the cliff."

Ruby laughed despite the bittersweet note it left her with. Yang had been distracted by something, and Ruby had suspected as much, but the confirmation still stung.

"When she barreled over my head, I was left with the choice of doubling back to find a partner or following her."

"Not much of a choice. I mean, who wouldn't follow my sister?"

"It didn't take me long to regret it."

Ruby looked at Blake with questioning eyes. How could anyone regret choosing Yang?

"She didn't show any concern for the mission at hand or her surroundings. I thought she was an arrogant, inexperienced fool and a danger to herself and everyone around her." Blake shook her head. "I was about to walk away when she came face to face with a pair of ursi."

"I bet they didn't know what hit them!"

"They seemed to have been as surprised as I was." Blake sighed. "Yang is still unreasonable and unprofessional. Many of the things I've seen her do go against everything I've been taught, but I don't regret my choice, no."

They had reached Blake's corner. All there was, was a book, a candlestick, some clothes, and a worn leather suitcase. Moving Blake would be a lot less work than Weiss, not just because she didn't need any convincing.

"I'm glad," Ruby said, picking up the book. "Yang seems to be happy with how things turned out. I mean, she's friendly with most people, but it doesn't always feel genuine, you know? It's like her smile isn't reaching her eyes, but with you around, she's glowing." She studied the cover of the book. It was the one Blake had been reading the evening before. "It makes me wonder why she dragged me over here in the first place."

Blake stopped packing and focused on Ruby.

"We had just talked about how I had to leave my friends behind, and I told her that I knew you, kind of. I thought she was trying to push me into making a new friend, but she had been sizing you up before I even mentioned you."

Ruby followed Blake's eyes towards Yang, who was still talking to Weiss next to her luggage.

"She had her own agenda in coming over, but I don't think it was any more important than trying to help you. She asked me to move so her little sister would have someone around she could discuss books with."

"She didn't have to do that," Ruby said with a pout. "It's embarrassing to have your big sister bring over friends for you."

"I agree," Blake said as she closed her suitcase.

Ruby frowned. As much as she enjoyed Blake's company, there was something very Weiss about her at times.

"Could you bring my sleeping bag? Yang was talking about pushing her things out of the way. I would rather you do that than me."

Ruby nodded. Yang wouldn't mind either way, but Blake had her hands full with her suitcase, which was bulging under its weight. Getting filled to the brim with books, a brass candlestick, and about two pairs of socks probably wasn't its intended use.

They walked over to their camp and started to make room. Yang and Weiss hadn't moved an inch, but at least there weren't any open signs of impending doom, so Ruby concentrated on the task at hand.

"She was looking for you out there," Blake said.

"That's hard to believe," Ruby said with a frown. "She ditched me right after we had arrived for her Signal friends and didn't even want to be on the same team as me."

"I'm sure you know that she didn't mean it that way. You are younger than everyone else, and the two of you are very close. She was only concerned that you would become too dependent on her and shut out your classmates."

Ruby thought it over. She had come to Beacon to become a huntress and nothing more. She had Yang and her childhood dream. That should have been enough for her, but she had started Signal with a very similar mindset. She hadn't been able to spend much time with Yang there, but she had made some friends of her own, which she had never regretted. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Yang wasn't her partner. Besides, they could still end up on the same team together.

Blake stowed away her suitcase in the corner of the room while Ruby put down the sleeping bag in between Yang's and the wall. With the move finished, both of them settled down, and Blake, unsurprisingly, picked up her book again.

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Ruby said.

"Weiss is stubborn. She was never going to move without putting up a fight."

"That's what I'm worried about. She probably doesn't want anything to do with me unless she has to, and Yang isn't the most patient person in the world."

"Well, she can always sling her over her shoulder and carry her over here. With no weapons or dust at hand, Weiss shouldn't be able to put up much of a fight against your sister."

"Seriously?" Ruby asked as she stared at Blake with wide eyes only to be greeted by a raised eyebrow.

"I just," she stammered, "I sort of expected you to tell me that I underestimate her ability to reason with people and that I should trust her to resolve things peacefully. But that was a very Yang thing to say."

"Your sister has her moments of wisdom, but I wouldn't nominate her for the debate club unless it included a hand-to-hand round. Weiss, on the other hand, is very stubborn and used to getting whatever she wants, or thinks she wants. The occasional twisted arm might be necessary to break her out of her bubble."

Ruby frowned. Weiss was difficult enough without being provoked on purpose. "Maybe we should have just left her alone. I'm going to share a room with her soon enough anyway. One night more or less won't make much of a difference."

"I agree."

"You do? Weren't you in on Yang's plan?"

"No. She'll get Weiss to move, but I wouldn't expect my partner to be in a good mood by the time she gets here if I were you."

Ruby nodded. Blake had anticipated Yang's actions just like she had out in the forest, and Yang had trusted her to do so. Whatever lingering jealousy she might have felt melted away. They were meant to be partners just as the headmaster had predicted. Besides, Ruby had her own partner to worry about. She would turn Weiss around and they would become BFFs in no time!

* * *

Blake felt a sense of déjà vu. She was perched against the wall of Beacon's ballroom, trying to read the very book she had been hiding behind the night before. Unlike the night before, she was surrounded by sleeping bags, pillows, and haphazardly strewn about clothes. She wasn't sure what she was more impressed by, the mess the two sisters had managed to create in a single day or how much more comfortable she felt in their camp.

While her surroundings didn't have the same hold over her that they had the night before, her reading pace had not increased. With every second Yang's attempt to move the stubborn heiress dragged on, Blake grew more conflicted about letting her partner have her way. Their personalities, much like their auras, were like fire and ice, and leaving them alone without a buffer was a dangerous gamble.

Ruby's worries about the situation were understandable. Her relationship with Weiss might have improved slightly, but it was nowhere near friendly or solid. Yang's plan, as well meaning as might have been, had a good chance of blowing up in her face, and while Blake would have to share the blame, Ruby would be the one to suffer the consequences.

Consequences, which included missing out on a night spent in arms reach of a Schnee. A notion to which Blake wasn't entirely opposed. The hypocrisy of her feelings wasn't lost on her, but for most of her life, that name had stood for everything that was wrong with the world. It might not have been Weiss's fault, but a day of forced cooperation and a civil dinner hadn't been enough to make up for years of prejudice, hatred, and violence traded between Weiss's family and Blake's people.

She tried to put her thoughts to rest in order to return to her book, but she had missed her window. Ruby perked up as Weiss, looking more resigned than angry, made her way over with her sleeping bag and some clutter in her arms. Yang was following close behind, carrying a big load of Weiss's luggage.

"Finally!" Ruby said. "What took you so long?"

A warning look was all the reply she got before Weiss put down her sleeping bag at the edge of the camp.

"You didn't fight, did you?" Ruby asked.

"Only a little bit," Yang said with a cheeky grin. "Don't worry about it."

"Yang!"

"Seriously, it's nothing. The little princess was a tough nut to crack, but she succumbed to my charms in the end."

Weiss scoffed. "You wish! And stop calling me that. I have a name. Use it if you absolutely have to talk to me. Better yet, just don't talk to me."

Ruby looked concerned, but Yang just laughed. "See? It's all good."

Weiss ignored her and sat down on her sleeping bag, never taking her eyes off Yang. "Make sure you don't break anything. I will hold you personally responsible for any damage."

Yang waved her off without turning around as she left to collect the remainder of her luggage.

"I'm glad you decided to come over," Ruby said.

"It's not like I had much of a choice. Your brute of a sister wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to move. Don't read anything into it."

Ruby nodded, her smile firmly in place.

It was hard to tell if Weiss felt as much disdain for the sisters as she liked to imply. During dinner, she had thawed considerably, but ever since they had left the dining hall, the confrontational, arrogant heiress had returned. Either way, Ruby had her work cut out for herself with her pick of a partner, and Blake did not envy her for it.

Before long, Yang returned with the second load of Schnee-branded suitcases. She carefully put them away and challenged Weiss with a raised eyebrow.

"Congratulations. Once you wash out of Beacon, you will make for a passable porter."

Ruby chuckled, while Yang studied her handiwork with an amused hum. "Well, it never hurts to have options," she said and plopped down on her sleeping bag.

"So, what now?" Weiss asked.

Blake wasn't the only one caught by surprise. Ruby and Yang had turned their heads and were staring at Weiss.

"What? Is there something wrong with my face?"

"No, no!" Ruby said, holding her hands up in defense. "Your face is just fine. Better than fine. You're quite beautiful. Not that that is much of a surprise. The princesses in stories are always beautiful. At least the good ones. Not the evil ones. They are ugly crones and witches. But you aren't evil, so…"

Weiss was staring at the rambling girl with a deadpan expression, while Yang was holding her stomach laughing.

"I'm going to shut up now," Ruby said.

"What my walking foot in the mouth of a sister meant to say was that we hadn't expected you to show any interest at all. Are you sure you don't just want to turn your back on us and ignore us for the rest of the night?"

"You dragged me over here so I could ignore you from up close? You should have left me alone if that was all you wanted."

"Of course not. It's just unexpected, and, well, I hadn't actually planned that far ahead."

"It's like a slumber party," Ruby said, "so we should do slumber-partily things, right?"

"Well, It's a bit late to smuggle in beer—"

"Yang!" Ruby chided her sister, while Weiss looked at her in disapproval.

"Or wine for the princess."

"That is not the issue!" Weiss said.

Blake decided not to dwell on a future in which her team would find itself on the receiving end of disciplinary measures for smuggling alcohol onto school grounds. Instead, she tried to recall any details on slumber parties she could think of. Unless one counted slumming it in tents or some rundown industrial ruins, she had no personal experience, but she had come across them in a book or two.

Makeovers seemed to be popular with girls, but they were out of the question if she wanted to keep up her cover. Video games seemed to be big with boys, but they had none at hand. Talking about boys was another staple, but the only boys she knew who weren't linked to her past were Jaune and Ren, and talking about girls was out of the question after what had happened in the locker room. Gossip was another common point on the agenda. One she didn't care for, which left only one thing she could think of without drawing ideas from books that weren't suitable for a younger audience.

"Isn't it common to play games at slumber parties?"

"What kinds of games could we possibly play like this?" Weiss asked.

All eyes were on Blake showing very different expectations.

"Spin the bottle?" she suggested off the top of her head.

Weiss's looked at her in confusion, but Blake wasn't so lucky with the sisters. Ruby's face had turned redder than her cape while mischief and glee were written all over Yang's.

"Wow, Blakey!" she said, making Blake cringe at the new nickname. "I was wondering what you were up to, but I did not expect that."

She had made a terrible mistake.

"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked.

"That game is a bit…" Ruby started before taking a deep breath. "You sit in a circle around a bottle and spin it. Whoever it points at when it stops, you have to," she lowered her eyes and mumbled, "kiss."

"What? Why would anybody play such a disgusting game?"

Yang snickered. "It's quite popular at parties. You get the chance to kiss your crush without any embarrassing confessions or the risk of rejection. All it takes is a bit of luck."

"And risk having to kiss someone you don't want to more often than not. It's ridiculous. Besides, why would I want to play a kissing game with you people?"

"That's the interesting question, isn't it, Blake? Anyone in particular on your mind to make you suggest that game?"

"You want to kiss one of us?" Ruby asked with wide eyes.

"No, of course not. I just picked the first thing that came to mind."

Ruby and Weiss seemed to accept it, but Yang was a different story. Fortunately, the others couldn't see the knowing smirk on her face.

She hummed and turned back to the others. "Well, there are always other games. How about never have I ever?"

"Oh, that's better!" Ruby said. "It's a bit more complicated, but it's a lot of fun. Everybody is given a number of lives. One by one, we have to make a statement starting with 'never have I ever'. If somebody has done the thing in question, they lose a life and everybody else is allowed to ask about the details. If nobody has, the one making the statement loses a life."

"Exactly," Yang said. "For example, Weiss could say, 'Never have I ever fantasized about kissing my partner.'"

Blake could barely keep her eyes from going wide.

"And everyone who lost a life could be asked about the steamy details."

If that was how the evening would go, Blake couldn't wait for their slumber party to come to an end. She was tempted to drop out and go back to reading her book right then and there, but something told her that Yang wouldn't let her go without a fight.

"The choice is between randomly kissing you people or letting you snoop through my private life?" Weiss asked. "You are doing a poor job of making this game idea sound appealing."

"Really? How about a couple of rounds of the mother of all party games then?" Yang asked.

"I shudder to ask what that would be."

"Truth or dare, of course! We take turns picking a person. That person gets to decide between truth or dare. If they pick truth, they have to answer a question, truthfully. If they chose dare, they are given a task they have to perform, no chickening out."

"Sounds like you combined the other two games into one even more horrible."

"Oh, but it got choice," Yang said with a smirk.

"It can be a lot of fun," Ruby said.

"So true, little sis! For example, if Blake picked truth, one could ask her if she's ever fantasized about kissing her partner."

Blake narrowed her eyes. Subtlety had gone out the window and Yang was having too much fun with it.

"If she picked dare, one could dare her to—"

"Yang!"

Yang looked at Blake in surprise, but she got the, not so subtle, hint. "Or, one could ask Weiss what her last wet dream about Pyrrha was like."

"Excuse me?"

"I didn't know you liked Pyrrha that way," a confused Ruby said.

"I don't!" Weiss snapped and turned to Yang. "Stop making these kinds of suggestions. You are confusing your gullible sister."

"Fine. How about daring Weiss to walk up to Jaune and kiss him on the mouth without a word to explain herself?"

"I would never kiss that scraggly buffoon!"

"Okay, okay. Kissing is off the menu." Yang scratched her chin. "Oh, here's a classic: One could dare Weiss to moon the ballroom."

Ruby fell over on her sleeping bag, clasping both hands over her mouth in an attempt to keep her snickering at bay.

"Do I even want to know?" Weiss asked.

"It's when you—when you—"

Yang interrupted Ruby by ruffling her hair. "Easy there, little sis. Breath, then talk."

"I know! It's just that I really want to see that."

"Absolutely! It would be so funny, and nobody here would ever forget the Schnee heiress mooning them."

Ruby held her stomach as she broke out in wild laughter, quickly followed by Yang.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Weiss said. "Just tell me what farce you have concocted now."

Ruby rolled over and muffled her laughter by pressing her face into her pillow.

"Right," Yang said after she had calmed down a bit. "It's really simple. Mooning is when you stick out your butt, pull down your pants, and give everyone a good look at your cheeks, butt-naked."

Weiss's face went red. She was stuck somewhere between shock and fury with her mouth agape.

Seeing her reaction, only intensified the mental image Blake had formed. Weiss standing in front of their classmates with her milky-white, pampered bottom sticking out was too much. She joined Ruby laughing.

"You people are disgusting! Have you no sense of shame or decorum? No self-respecting woman would ever stoop that low no matter what game she was playing."

The laughter died down until all that was left was the occasional snicker.

"That's not your decision to make though," Yang said. "The rules are absolute. If you play, you have to do as ordered."

"It looks like I'm in luck since I'm not going to play any of your stupid games. I don't understand why anyone would. All of them seem to be designed to humiliate and make fun of the other players."

"That's kind of the idea of all party games," Yang said. "Have fun and cut loose. It's a party, and the rules of everyday life don't apply. But, to be fair, there's usually some alcohol involved, which helps a lot."

"I maintain that you people are disgusting."

"So, no games?" Ruby asked.

"Not unless you come up with something a civilized person can play," Weiss said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"No games then," Yang said.

Blake sighed in relief. As much fun as Yang gunning for Weiss might have been, she had the sneaking suspicion that she would have ended up as the main target before long.

"That's a shame," Ruby said. "But with all the examples Yang came up with, it almost feels like we've played some games already."

"Doesn't matter anyway," Yang said. "There is no such thing as a plan to a slumber party. All you do is sit around in your pajamas, talk, have some fun, and wait for the right moment to launch a surprise pillow fight."

Ruby squeezed her corgi pillow to her chest while her eyes darted from person to person, giving everyone a suspicious look.

Yang put her hands on the back of her head and fell onto her sleeping bag. "Our slumber party started the moment we all sat down here, and it will end when we have to get up in the morning. All that matters in between is that we are a bunch of friends hanging out together."

She smiled gently at Blake who couldn't help but return the gesture. Yang's interpretation was far more to her taste than those she had found in books with all their strange activities and rituals. She would have to be on the lookout for any surprise attacks though.

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Weiss asked. "We are hardly friends. We have only just met, and you two being sisters is the only reason we are together in the first place."

"Maybe," Ruby said. "But don't you think it's a lot nicer in here today?"

"I don't see how."

"Just look around. Most of the people here were strangers a day ago. Now, they're banding together, getting to know each other, and becoming friends. It's nice. I just wish we had more control over our fate. Look over there." Ruby pointed in the direction of Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. "They worked so well together as a team. It would be a shame if the professors split them up, and they wouldn't even have a say in the matter."

"Just like us, you mean?" Yang asked. She was lying on her back, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. Her expression was almost melancholic with a gentle smile lingering on her lips.

"You really don't mind anymore?"

Yang sighed and faced Ruby. "You milked me for a bunch of Yang-coupons just so I could apologize, and you still worry about that?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and laughed bashfully.

"I was worried, you would cling to me and ignore everyone else if I stayed too close, but you've already got Weiss and Blake, and you like Jaune for some reason."

"He's not a bad guy as long as you don't have to rely on him in a fight."

"True enough. Besides, Pyrrha seems nice. If you hang out with Jaune, you're bound to get to know her. And after a plate of cookies or two, you and Nora could practically be twins."

"Hey!"

"Point is, I shouldn't have worried about you not making any friends. There was no reason to. You're doing fine no matter if I'm close or not."

"So you wouldn't mind being on my team?"

"Nope."

"Even if I'm named team leader and not you?"

Yang laughed. "Ambitious much? But that's fine. Better you than me. There's probably a ton of extra classes and homework for team leaders."

Weiss cleared her throat. "Aren't you getting carried away handing out the team leader position before there even is a team to speak of? Besides," she turned to face Ruby, "you are my partner, not your sister's. If we had any choice in the matter, we would refuse to team up with that mindless brute."

It was a pointless, theoretical exercise, and Weiss was just about the last person she wanted to end up on a team with, but the personal attacks on her partner were starting to rub Blake the wrong way. Before she could give Weiss a piece of her mind though, she noticed Yang's lack of a reaction and calmed down. It wasn't her job to pick her partner's battles, but to support her once she would.

"Why would we do that?" Ruby asked. "Yang is amazing. You won't find a better close-quarters fighter than her. And you wouldn't just be rejecting Yang, you would also be rejecting Blake, who's, like, a super-ninja with one of the most versatile weapons ever designed!"

"I have to agree," Yang said with a hum. "Skipping on Blake would be stupid. You haven't even seen her do half the stuff I have, and I bet it's only the tip of the iceberg."

Blake stared at her partner unsure of what to make of her. They had come to a certain understanding of each other out in the field, yes, but there was no reasonable justification for the faith and trust Yang seemed to be putting into her and her abilities.

"Say what you want, but we kicked that nevermore's butt, the four of us together, and we were awesome!" Ruby said, beaming with pride.

"We did well enough," Weiss said, lacking Ruby's enthusiasm. "Your plan worked. It was excessively dangerous, downright insane, and should never have worked, but we got lucky. We could just as well have died. Mind you, we might get a head start out of it as far as our grades are concerned if they can overlook your recklessness. I suspect that not many students at Beacon end up dealing with a grimm that size during their initiation."

"Other than Pyrrha and the gang you mean," Yang said.

"Naturally. They had Pyrrha with them."

"I don't know. Pyrrha is good and all, and I was distracted by that giant chicken, but from what I've seen, Nora did most of the hard work."

"Of course you would say that. She's just as much of a mindless brute as you are."

Yang laughed. "That hammer of hers is impressive. Shame that they managed to kill that oversized bug as quickly as they did though. I wanted to take another shot at that thing."

"You can't be serious? Jumping into a nevermore's beak like a suicidal earthworm wasn't enough excitement for you? You really wanted to get skewered by the poisonous, armor-plated menace for a second time?"

"The big ones are rare," Yang said with a shrug. "Besides, I only burnt the chicken's throat and feathers a bit. Ruby got to do the heavy lifting on our end."

"I couldn't have done it without all of you. That's why we would be such a great team."

"I have to agree with Ruby," Blake said. "We have a good variety of arms and skill sets, as well as the talent to back them up. There are some interpersonal issues, but we've already proven that we can overcome them if necessary. With some training and better familiarity with each other, we could make for a respectable and well-balanced team."

Weiss turned her head with a huff, but she kept quiet.

"If we were allowed to argue our point or make requests, we might stand a good chance of convincing the faculty to rule in our favor, but we aren't. We don't know what criteria they are looking for to make the decision especially with professor Ozpin in charge."

"That man does feel unfit for his position," Weiss said.

"You shouldn't talk about him like that," Ruby said. "He's a nice man, and I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"You're just saying that because he's the one who picked you to come to Beacon two years early."

"I—"

"Weiss brings up an interesting point," Blake said, cutting off Ruby's protest before they could get into an argument. "We need to factor in the headmaster's peculiar nature."

"How would we even do that?" Yang asked. "I mean, we are talking about the guy who thought that throwing us off a cliff would be a good way to start off the year. Not that it wasn't fun and all."

"All we know is that the faculty is making the decision without input from us, and that we will be graded based on the relics we picked up and our performance during the initiation."

Ruby frowned. "How would they grade the statues? They looked different, but they were all in the same place, one just as easy to grab as the other."

"The relics were chess pieces," Weiss said. "They could rank them based on their importance in the game."

"Possibly, but it wasn't a full set of chess pieces, and all of them were pairs…"

Three sets of eyes watched Blake as she counted the number of students in the ballroom to confirm her theory.

"There were two relics of each kind for every color even for those who should have more, like the pawns, or less, like the king and queen. With every pair of students bringing back one relic, they match the number of first-year students exactly."

Weiss quickly glanced over the room. "I see what you mean."

"Well, I don't," Yang said as she and Ruby looked back at Blake with equally confused expressions. "Could one of you eggheads just explain what you're talking about?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Each relic had an identical twin. The only way to group them unambiguously—assuming that everybody passed and disregarding luck, timing, or any other form of context—is to group the identical relics together, which would split us into groups of four without leaving anyone out."

"Whoever grabbed the same statues is going to be on a team together?" Ruby asked.

"The numbers add up, and it is the most straightforward theory based on the relics alone."

Yang groaned. "That's it, isn't it?"

"That's totally it," Ruby said.

"You're jumping to conclusions," Weiss said.

"Nope," Yang said, "that's exactly what it is."

Ruby nodded. "It's professor Ozpin we're talking about."

"The entire initiation was just a bunch of smoke and mirrors—"

"—to hand out pieces of paper with our team numbers written on them."

"So," Ruby and Yang said simultaneously as they faced each other.

"On three?" Ruby asked.

They jumped up.

"One."

"Two."

"A cute golden pony!" they yelled in unison, drawing the attention of the room.

"The white knight," Weiss said only to be ignored.

"Alright!" They high-fived.

"We totally nailed initiation, teammate!" Yang said.

"We totally did, teammate!" Ruby said.

"You're causing a commotion, again!" Weiss said.

Yang shrugged. "Who cares? Good news needs to be celebrated, right?"

"Right!" Ruby said.

Weiss glared at them. "There is no news, just speculation."

"Is it too late to get some cake from the kitchen?" Yang asked.

"I think they stopped dinner service a while ago," Ruby said.

"The stores won't be open anymore either."

"There are vending machines."

"Yeah, but they are all the way out by the airships." Yang sighed. "Guess we'll just have to break into the kitchen and get some cookies or something."

It took Blake a moment to comprehend what direction the conversation had taken. She had considered Yang's suggestion a joke, but the worried look on Ruby's face gave her pause.

"Do something about your idiot of a partner before she gets us all into trouble!" Weiss hissed.

Her attitude continued to rub Blake the wrong way, but after what Ruby had told her in the locker room, she had other priorities. "Yang," she said, looking her partner straight in the eye, "you are not going to break into the kitchen or anywhere else unless there is a very good reason for it."

Ruby nodded. "Stealing is wrong, even if it's cookies."

"Who said anything about stealing? The meals are free for students. I'm just going to extend the service hours a little bit."

"That's not how the school will see it."

"Aw, come on, Blakey. Look outside. It's a beautiful night, perfect for a bit of covert action, and with you along, there is no way we'll get caught."

"That's not the point."

"We could check if the teachers get better food than us."

"Unlikely since some of them were having dinner with the students."

"We could spike tomorrow's desserts with a laxative or something."

"Now you're just trying to play pranks. Where would you even get laxatives this time of the night?"

"We could drop by the infirmary—"

"Yang!"

She stopped to look at Blake.

"We don't even know if you're right. How about we hold the celebrations until tomorrow after the teams have been announced."

Yang deflated. "Fine."

"We've got the afternoon off, don't we?" Ruby asked.

"We've got the afternoon off in order to get situated and prepare for classes," Weiss said.

"Yeah, but we can do that in the evening. How about we head into town in the afternoon. We could have some real cake to celebrate."

"Oh, great idea, little sis! There are some nice places not far from the airships."

"Maybe we could invite Pyrrha and the others too?"

"Come to think of it, which statue did Jaune pick?"

"A golden tower."

"White rook," Weiss said only to be ignored again.

"So did Nora," Yang said.

Both sisters looked in their direction.

"They are a team too," Ruby said.

"Good for them."

"Should we tell them the good news?"

"Please don't," Weiss said. "You've embarrassed us enough without spreading false rumors about how the teams are formed."

"It's not a false rumor," Ruby said with a pout.

"It's an informed gue—"

A pillow hit Yang in the face. For a moment, it looked like time was frozen as everyone stared at her. Everyone but Blake that was, who tried to look as innocent as possible. The pillow fell from Yang's face into her waiting arms, and everyone focused on Blake, the surprise still written on their faces.

"Did you just…?" Yang asked.

"You said that surprise pillow fights were an integral part of slumber parties."

"And you used my pillow because…?"

"Nothing is sneakier than attacking someone with their own weapon. Besides," Blake grabbed her pillow, "I didn't want to disarm myself."

The expected retaliation did not come. Instead, Yang dragged Ruby into a huddle.

"Do you get it now?" she asked in a half-whisper that did nothing to preserve their privacy. "That's why Blakey is the best, while your partner is just a clueless amateur with a stick up her ass."

"Excuse me?" Weiss protested.

"That was quite unexpected, sneaky, and awesome," Ruby said, nodding for emphasis before looking at Weiss in disappointment.

"Seriously? You're judging my value as your partner by the fact that I didn't randomly throw a pillow in your face?"

"Makes sense to—"

Another pillow hit Yang. Ruby snickered, while Weiss rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Okay, that's it! This means war!" Yang said, holding a pillow under each arm.

She threw one of them at Blake who dodged to the side, picking up both of Ruby's pillows on the way. She came to a halt in a half crouch behind Weiss and threw one pillow at Ruby, keeping the much sturdier corgi pillow as her choice of arms.

Ruby was caught flat-footed and got hit straight in the face. It was Yang's turn to laugh at her sister, stopping her attack for the time being. Blake wasn't naive enough to drop her guard though.

"What do you think you're doing?" Weiss asked Blake in annoyance.

"Taking cover behind the only obstacle the battlefield provides."

"I'm not an obs—"

Everybody froze again as Weiss was cut off by a pillow to the face. She pulled it down and glared at Ruby, who was standing with her arm still outstretched from her throw. The younger girl jumped back, put on an innocent expression, and tried to implicate Yang by nodding her head in her sister's direction.

Weiss stood up, angry veins popping on her forehead. "How stupid do you think I am, you little menace?"

"Well—"

Ruby barely ducked below a pillow aimed at her. Weiss, despite being unarmed, wasted no time and started chasing her around the camp.

Yang took the chance to take a swing at Weiss's back, which left her open for Blake to try and do the same to her. She noticed in time, but between the awkward angle and the sturdier mass of Ruby's corgi pillow, Yang barely managed to deflect the attack.

Blake recovered faster than her partner, but the regular pillow's longer reach put her on the defensive. She blocked Yang's counterattack and jumped out of melee range. In the process, she had barely avoided a hit to the head, which reminded her of her disguise. Getting outed on her second day by a pillow fight was not on her agenda.

Ruby, meanwhile, had doubled back with Weiss hot on her heels. The heiress threw another pillow that was easily dodged and, in turn, passed by Blake within arm's reach. She caught it, gaining the advantage over Yang once again.

"Hold still so I can hit you!"

Weiss's outburst had rendered her an easy target for the discarded pillow Ruby had picked up from the ground during her last dodge. Her aim was slightly off though. She only hit Weiss in the chest.

"That's it!" Weiss yelled, swinging the pillow with both hands.

Ruby was too busy snickering to get out of the way, allowing Weiss to score a clean hit that sent her stumbling. She managed to grab on to Weiss and pulled her down with her, sending both of them to the floor where they ended up wrestling over control of the one pillow they shared between them.

With Yang distracted by the show Ruby and Weiss were putting on, Blake took her chance to launch an attack at what she thought would be a blind spot, but her partner fished the pillow out of the air with a smirk. Yang had baited her, which left them back where they had started with Blake's advantage on the defense but no chance to attack without leaving herself open.

A disgruntled male voice interrupted them just as Yang was about to attack. "Stop it! All of you!"

The four of them froze in their steps—Weiss straddling Ruby, trying to smother her with a pillow; Blake and Yang with theirs readied for another exchange—to look at the intruder, who turned out to be the apathetic hall monitor.

The entire ballroom had gone quiet, and all eyes were on their corner. Most people seemed to have been watching them, while some—most notably Nora, who was standing over Ren with her pillow raised ready to strike—had decided to join in on the fun.

Blake hugged her pillow to her chest, feeling very uneasy under the sudden scrutiny. Weiss seemed equally as uneasy as she clambered up. She tried her best to look dignified standing in the middle of the war zone that was their camp with her hair in a mess and her nightdress crumpled and askew, but she was fooling no one about her lack of decorum.

The hall monitor looked them over one by one, paying little attention to Weiss and Ruby. He met Blake's eyes with a frown and moved on to Yang where he lingered and a small blush crept into his cheeks.

Looking at her partner, the reason for it became obvious. Yang was facing him with a pillow under her arm, a hand on her cocked hips, her skimpy top and shorts hiked up slightly, and her hair disheveled from the fight. Suggestive was an understatement, but her narrowed eyes spoke a very different language.

"Seeing something you like?" she asked.

Blake was taken aback. There was a hard edge to the question that couldn't be much further removed from the playful, flirtatious tone Yang had used with her in the locker room.

The hall monitor tore his eyes away and cleared his throat with enthusiasm. "It's past your curfew. That means lights out and off to bed," he turned to face the room, "for all of you newbies!"

"Seriously?" Yang asked. "Are we in preschool, or what?"

"I'm not making the rules. I'm just enforcing them."

"Oh?" Yang dropped the pillow and put both hands on her hips. "I'd like to see you try."

Blake frowned. Between Yang's cocky smirk and the hall monitor's clenched jaw, the situation could escalate quickly unless somebody stepped in.

Luckily, Ruby rose to the challenge. She jumped in between them, facing the hall monitor. "That's okay. We've had a long day and should get some sleep, right?" She looked over her shoulder at Blake and Weiss with a pleading expression.

"It's getting late," Blake said.

"Indeed. We should make sure to be well rested for tomorrow's ceremony."

Yang sighed, causing the hall monitor to shoot her another dark glance before he walked away, mumbling under his breath. Blake could barely make out bits and pieces about the job not being worth it and some colorful expletives about the new students he was supposed to supervise.

"I guess that's it for tonight?" Yang asked.

"How can you even—" Weiss stopped herself to take a deep breath. "Are you trying to ruin my record before school has even started?"

Yang casually flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He got a good eyeful. Might as well charge him for admission. Besides, who knows how long it will take until they let us fight them in class."

Weiss groaned. "Could you be any more—"

"Guys!" Ruby interrupted. "Maybe we should just pack it in for the night?"

"We'll have to clean up first," Blake said, pointing at the jumble of clothes, pillows, and sleeping bags that used to be their camp.

Weiss glared at the mess with her hands on her hips. "I can't believe that I let you drag me into this."

Yang laughed. "We'll get that stick out of your ass yet."

"I'm perfectly fine the way I am, thank you very much."

* * *

The ballroom had fallen silent, all lights had been extinguished, and even the most energetic of students had succumbed to the exhaustion of a day spent in the wild.

Among Blake's camp, Ruby had been the first to go. She had lasted minutes past their pillow fight before Yang had to tuck the comatose girl into her sleeping bag. Weiss had taken it as her cue to turn in for the night, leaving Blake and Yang to talk for a little while longer. Eventually, they, too, had fallen silent.

Alone again, Blake found herself watching her partner in her sleep. Her expression was relaxed and peaceful, without a care in the world, and despite lying on top of a thin sleeping bag on the cold floor of a drafty room, she couldn't look any more comfortable. The slow and steady rise and fall of her chest with every even breath proved to be enough of a distraction for Blake to forget about her surroundings.

"Trouble falling asleep?"

Blake froze. "You're still awake?"

"Tried to fall asleep, but someone kept staring at me."

Blake fought the urge to avert her eyes and turn away. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and kept her eyes focused on Yang.

"I still have a hard time figuring out if you are some sort of super spy or a rank amateur. The way you moved out in the forest, it was like your presence disappeared unless you wanted to be seen, but here?"

"I wasn't trying to spy on you, just lost in thought."

"Good thoughts or bad thoughts?"

Blake settled down on her side, resting her head on her arm. "A bit of both."

"Oh? Regretting your choice of partner already?"

"Are you asking my brain or my gut?"

"Whichever part won the argument."

"I should," Blake said with a sigh. "I really should, but I don't."

Yang propped herself up on her elbows and checked on Ruby and Weiss before she settled down facing Blake. Their bodies mirrored each other, and their eyes locked. To Blake, the world surrounding them all but disappeared.

"Still anxious about this place?"

Blake nodded without hesitation. She wasn't sure why. She shouldn't leave herself open to anyone like that nor should she burden Yang with her problems, but she found herself unable to resist those imploring lilac eyes.

"Nothing is going to happen tonight. There would be too many witnesses, and they would have to go through all four of us."

"You don't even know why someone might come after me. What if they had good reasons?"

Yang hummed. "I have no idea where Weiss stands. Ruby, well, she's got that whole hero-complex thing going, so if someone flashed a badge and told her what a dastardly criminal you are, things might get awkward. As for me?" She paused for a moment that seemed to last for hours. "I don't care."

"How can you say that? I could be—"

"Stop right there. We both know that you aren't ready to tell me the truth. And that's fine, really. A lot has happened in the last twenty-four hours, and it's easy to forget that we're still practically strangers."

Yang hardly felt like a stranger anymore, no matter how ridiculous that might sound, but it wasn't as simple as that.

"I still don't care. The school, classes, teams; above it all, you are my partner. Whatever problems you've brought with you, they aren't just yours anymore. I will be at your side and help you deal with them."

Blake eyed her skeptically. "You can't promise that. Besides, you're training to become a huntress. What if that promise conflicts with your duties?"

"Wouldn't that be our duties?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow. "But you're right. That could be a problem. Then again, what's life without taking some risks? We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there and figure something out."

Blake sighed. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep. And what about Ruby? She would be devastated if you had to drop out."

"Ruby will be fine either way. She's exactly where she wanted to be all her life. And this isn't about her. Let her worry about whatever ritzy parties Weiss is going to drag her to. Between her table manners and her two left feet, she'll either drive Weiss to a breakdown or to strangle her. Both, probably." The amused smile on Yang's lips disappeared quickly. "Let me worry about my partner getting murdered in her sleep."

"I'm just overreacting. Unfamiliar places and people have that effect on me."

"I figured as much. Let's just hope that you'll be able to feel safe and relaxed around here soon. Who knows, you might even come to trust me enough to tell me your story one day."

Blake frowned. She could feel her resolve dwindle, but she had to stay strong.

"Don't worry. I won't pry, and I won't hold it against you if you don't tell me anything." Yang smiled gently. "I know you think it's stupid, but I told you that I have a good feeling about you, and I won't abandon you if push comes to shove."

It was a bad idea. It would only get Yang into trouble and complicate things for both of them, but Blake couldn't make herself speak up.

Yang's expression turned serious. "There's just one thing you need to promise me in return. I need to know when it's more than just anxiety. Especially if Ruby is going to be part of our team. You don't need to tell me the details or the reasons behind it, and whatever you tell me I will keep to myself if you insist, but I need to know when your past puts us in genuine danger."

"I wouldn't hold back information if endangered my team."

Yang frowned. "I'm not just talking about your team. I'm talking about you. We might not have known each other for very long, but there is one thing I'm willing to bet on: You're the type to insist on dealing with their own problems and get themselves killed in the process."

"I—"

"Don't even try to deny it. I may be stupid, but I'm a pretty good judge of character. Besides, I know how to handle myself on the rougher side of town, and we don't have to tell anyone. We can steal away together to deal with things or, you know, just for the fun of it." Yang gave Blake a lascivious smile that sent a shiver down her spine. "Just promise me to talk to me if there is anything I need to know."

Blake shouldn't commit. She should say something that wouldn't force her to lie eventually, but when Yang took her hand and squeezed it gently, whatever thoughts had preoccupied her mind were washed away, whatever protest she wanted to raise never materialized, and all she could think of was the warmth she felt through the simple gesture.

"Even if you stay away from everyone else, you are stuck with me, and I get the feeling that picking a fight with a gang or two would be a lot less troublesome than tracking you all over the world to drag your ass back here."

Would she go that far? Why? Why would a girl set on distancing herself from her former classmates go that far for a virtual stranger?

Another gentle squeeze interrupted her thoughts. Yang was looking at her, expecting an answer. She had to say no. She wouldn't drag her partner down with her.

She nodded.

Yang's face split in half in a beaming smile. "Good girl. Now, how about trying to get some sleep. I can wait up if that makes you feel better."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "I can manage."

"Suit yourself," Yang said with a laugh. "I'm used to it though, being a big sister to that little cuddle monster and all."

Blake closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Just… thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

And there we are, almost on time for a change.

Before anyone complains, I'm well aware that RWBY/JNPR not comparing notes on what relics they picked up during the long track back to Beacon is a stretch, but it made for a nice little scene, so who cares.

And I still suck at action scenes even if it's just a pillow fight. Though, the revised version is actually not that bad, if I do say so myself.

As for that last conversation, it's oddly prophetic, but I like it, so I didn't edit it down any further even though I really should have.

Unfortunately, there is one major edit that couldn't be avoided no matter how much I'm regretting it. The early drafts of this chapter contained a scene of Yang trying to convince Weiss to move (analogous to the Ruby/Blake scene). I tried to write it several times and it always ended up one of two ways: Either Yang was way out of character (going as far as blackmailing Weiss) or it was by far too short, which would have forced me to rewrite the Ruby/Blake side of things to fix the timeline. Should I ever find a good way of handling that conversation, I will put up a revised version, but I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

As for the party games, I know it's a bit of a cop-out as they didn't actually play any of them, but I really just wanted to tease Weiss and Blake a bit and maybe hint at the fact that neither of them had the most regular childhood, not humiliate them or genuinely piss them off, which would be my best guess as to how things would go if Weiss was to play with Yang around.

That is all.


	13. RWBY

**RWBY**

Blake awoke to the sound of gentle snoring. Not snoring so much as heavy breathing, oddly fitting for her tall blond partner. Aside from Yang and a couple of birds singing their morning songs, the room was dead silent, and despite having woken up early, Blake felt more refreshed than she had in a long time.

There wasn't any urgency to get up, so Blake decided to enjoy the rare moment of peace and quiet. She could almost feel Yang's warm breath on her skin just like she could still feel the lingering warmth of her hand on—

Her eyes shot open. Yang had never let go of her. They had spent the entire night face to face, holding hands.

She drew away from her partner, breaking her grip in the process. The blond mumbled something indecipherable in her sleep and turned on her back. Her hair was sprawled out like a shag carpet, while her long limbs had claimed three sleeping bags under them.

Blake took a deep breath to calm herself before she let her eyes sweep over the ballroom. They were a good distance away from anyone else, and sunlight was just barely seeping through the windows. Even if somebody had been awake, they shouldn't have been able to notice anything suspicious in the morning twilight.

She checked on her own camp. Yang was fast asleep, so was Ruby despite having her sister's elbow shoved in her face, and Weiss was facing away from them, breathing evenly.

Blake relaxed and slumped against the wall behind her, studying her hand ruefully. The room had turned cold and lonely. Whatever warmth and comfort Yang had provided throughout the night was no more.

There would have been an easy fix. All she would have had to do was to reach out and grab hold of her partner's hand again, but she couldn't make herself do it. Instead, she went back to watching her from a safe distance just like she had done the night before.

Yang seemed very comfortable despite partially smothering Ruby under herself. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, and a small trickle of saliva was running down her cheek. She looked ridiculous, but it was a perfect fit for the stupid smile lingering on her lips.

Why hadn't she let go? Why had she stayed so close? It was far too intimate for people who had just met each other. Even for friends, it was too much.

Blake recalled the last moments before she had gone to sleep, how Yang had broken her resolve with a simple squeeze of her hand, how she had acted like, well, a big sister. Of course. Yang had seen a girl in distress and treated her like she would have treated Ruby.

Blake sighed in relief.

* * *

Not long after her rude awakening, Blake had decided to leave camp. It had still been early morning, but she hadn't been able to stop herself from watching her partner in her sleep. With every second, her inner turmoil had continued to grow as everything Yang had said and done since their paths had crossed had kept playing back in her mind.

Some time away from everyone—from her partner—was supposed to help her get her head back into the game. Ironically, the first thing that had come to mind was Yang telling her to take a long, relaxing shower. A mistake as she had come to realize after her imagination had started to run wild. A short, ice-cold downpour later, any lingering sleepiness and unsavory thoughts had been washed away.

She spent what was left of the morning walking the open grounds of Beacon Academy. The campus was laid out generously with large amounts of greenery, water features, and paved walkways filling the space in between a surprisingly large number of buildings. There were several office, dorm, and classroom buildings; labs for a wide variety of subjects; and utilities, such as the dining hall, a number of small shops, as well as some of the most important pieces of infrastructure the kingdom had to offer to modern civilization, all collected under the protection of the academy. Small outdoor arenas and training grounds for anything from athletics to team sports and combat littered the area surrounding the core complex. There was even an agricultural section to one side, growing mostly herbs and plants with medicinal applications in small patches and greenhouses.

Walking along the outskirts, Blake couldn't help but wonder about all the wasted space not just on the grounds themselves but surrounding them. The sheer cliff walls as well as the forking river and ravines lining their base created an almost impenetrable natural fortress that offered enough room for a medium-sized town, yet Beacon was the only speck of civilization on the otherwise undeveloped plateau.

Blake took a deep breath. Given the cramped slums and barely surviving frontier towns she had encountered all over the world, she wasn't proud about her feelings, but she was happy about Beacon's inconsiderate use of prime real estate. Her remote hideout was reasonably safe—not just from the grimm but from anyone else who might come after her—would provide her with almost all amenities of modern life, and Vale was only a short airship or river ferry ride away. All things considered, it wasn't the worst place to be stranded in.

* * *

By the time Blake had returned to the ballroom, its tranquil atmosphere had been replaced by the noise of her classmates busying themselves with their morning preparations. The official presentation of the teams was just around the corner, and everyone wanted to look their best for the occasion.

While Blake had managed to clear her mind and come to an understanding with her new home, she had failed at her primary objective for the morning. On her way back, she had found herself in front of the laundry only to be denied entrance. While business hours had been extended into the evening to accommodate the arrival of the new students, the counter handing out their school uniforms wouldn't open until the afternoon.

After a moment of Yang-like insanity—breaking in and stealing a uniform had felt like a sound strategy, briefly—she had resigned herself to her fate and returned to meet up with the others only to find her camp deserted.

Her heart faltered at the thought that her partner had already gone back on her promise only to realize how silly she was being. She had been the one to step outside without leaving word and could hardly expect Yang to wait around for her all day.

With nothing better to do but to wait, she sat down on her sleeping bag and studied her vest. It was more dirty gray and brown than black from a day spent hiking through the wilderness. Any other day, it wouldn't have bothered her—a couple of hard shakes and a few good hits with Gambol Shroud's flat side would fix the worst of it—but the deep-black fabric would retain its uneven stains until she could give it a proper wash. It would be good enough for a trip to the convenience store or to go on the next mission, but standing up on a stage to be presented to the entire student body looking like she had just crawled out of a ditch wasn't going to help her keep a low profile.

What alternatives did she have though? She had to travel light, and faced with the decision between keeping more of her books or anything else, she had made the obvious choice. After all, Beacon would provide her with everything she needed for free. Later on that afternoon.

Blake sighed. If she hadn't wasted hours wandering the grounds, she could have used the laundromat, but she had missed her window if she wanted to wear dry clothes. She would just have to bite the bullet and go as she was.

She looked down at herself. Great idea. Hot pants, tights, and a skin-tight shirt while going up on stage next to Yang of all people. She might as well sell pinup prints of them herself to make some money off the inevitable. She really should have skipped on a few books and brought a sweater or something.

"Blake! There you are!" Ruby yelled from halfway across the room, pulling Blake from her thoughts.

A good night's sleep seemed to have recharged the energetic girl. Where Weiss and Yang walked around the islands of sleeping bags littering the room, Ruby came straight for Blake, jumping whatever blocked her path.

She dropped her toilet bag on the ground and sat down cross-legged on her sleeping bag. "I thought you left without us."

Blake shook her head. "Just went out to stretch my legs a bit."

"Oh, then you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I know there isn't much time left, but it could be the last chance we get for a while, so I thought it would be nice if we went together?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you convinced that you had everything figured out and we would end up on the same team?"

"I was. I am! But there's always a chance that I got it wrong."

"Even so, with you and Yang being close, I'm sure we'll spend plenty of time together, team or no team."

"We didn't at Signal. Not during school hours anyway."

"And what has you two looking so depressed this beautiful morning?" Yang asked before Blake could dig deeper.

"Nothing! I was just asking Blake to join us for breakfast."

Yang raised an eyebrow at Blake. "Trying to ditch us again?"

"No, a quick bite before the ceremony sounds good."

Ruby looked at Weiss who scoffed. "Don't bother. I will come along if only to avoid another inane attempt of your sister's to change my mind."

"Awesome!"

While Blake was waiting for the others to get ready, her mind found its way back to the problem at hand.

"Something wrong?" Yang asked, standing over her partially dressed.

Blake focused on the dirty vest in her lap, hoping not to let her partner's sight undo the work of her morning excursion. "Not exactly. I tried to get a uniform for the ceremony but the counter was closed."

"We don't have to wear them until tomorrow," Ruby said, hopping on one foot as she struggled to put on one of her boots.

Weiss pushed her over. "Sit down before you break your neck."

She landed on her sleeping bag, chuckling.

"You don't have anything else to wear?" Weiss asked.

Blake shook her head.

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" Ruby asked. "You can borrow anything you want. Anything but my cape!"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't think you're my size."

Ruby pouted. "I know I'm small for my age, but—"

Yang cut her off by ruffling her hair. "I have just the thing," she said with a smirk that sent a cold shiver down Blake's spine.

"I'm not sure—"

"Don't bash it before you've seen it." Yang dove into her duffel bag and started tearing out clothes in all hues of orange and yellow imaginable. Socks, shirts, even underwear—sporty for the most part, occasionally skimpy and lacy—littered her sleeping bag without a hint of concern.

"Really, you don't have to—"

Yang stopped her search to look Blake in the eye. "I won't abandon you in your time of need, remember? Besides," she pulled out the biggest piece of clothing yet, "found it!"

With a flick of her wrists, she unfolded a black and white leather jacket and held it up for Blake to inspect. Unlike anything else she had seen her partner wear, it was long enough to reach the waist and could be zipped all the way up to a standing collar.

"That's—"

"Surprisingly tasteful," Weiss said, cutting off Blake.

"Why, thank you, Weiss. I'm glad you approve of something at last."

The heiress scoffed and returned to cleaning up her spot in the camp.

"I haven't seen that before. Is it new?" Ruby asked.

"Brand spanking new! Only got it last week. Mind you, I ordered it ages ago. The guy who made it was all like, 'There's this rare leather from Vacuo, soft like a baby's bottom, and I just found a supplier!' Didn't tell me it would take him months to get his hands on it though."

"Sounds expensive."

"You have no idea," Yang said with a laugh.

"I can't take that. It's too much," Blake said.

Yang threw the jacket at her. "You're only borrowing it. Besides, it sort of lost its purpose. Don't think I'll need a new racing outfit anytime soon."

"Yang! You aren't still hanging out with those people, are you?" Ruby asked.

Yang held her hands up in defense. "Of course not. I promised, remember?"

"You did, several times. I also remember Dad going ballistic after he had to bail you out of jail in the middle of the night."

"Jail!" Weiss yelled. "You're a criminal. Why am I not surprised."

Blake studied Yang as she rubbed her neck and laughed. Was that what she had meant by being able to handle herself on the rougher side of town?

"I really don't think the cops should call it joyriding if you borrow your father's bike without permission," Yang said. "It stays in the family after all."

"They get touchy when you crash it in the middle of the night without having a license," Ruby said.

"The tire blew, which was totally Dad's fault for shoddy maintenance. Besides, that was ages ago. I am a very safe driver now. I'm better breaking the speed limit than most people are keeping to it," Yang said with enough confidence for Blake to be inclined to believe her.

"Doesn't mean that you don't have to pay your speeding tickets."

Yang shrugged. "It's not like they expect you to. Most of the time they don't even get a good shot of the license plates on those fixed traffic cams. They don't work for bikes and they know it or they would try harder to enforce the tickets. Besides, it's only small fines like parking tickets. That stuff won't show up on my record."

"Well, I am pretty sure illegal street racing does. They wouldn't have thrown you into jail otherwise, would they?"

"I was totally innocent. The race I was supposed to be in hadn't even—I mean if somebody happened to be impressed enough by my Bumblebee to put me on the roster without asking, that's got nothing to do with me. And it's not illegal to watch."

"I can't believe this," Weiss said. "They bought this nonsense?"

"Wrong place, wrong time, nothing more."

"You got off by dumb luck and lack of evidence."

"That time," Ruby mumbled.

"You got caught before?" Blake asked.

"Occupational hazard. It's just a bunch of fines and a wasted night, really. The only reason they used to drag Dad into it was that I was still underage. Can't let you go without your guardian's signature once they slap those cuffs on you."

"Vale's legal system seems to be in need of an overhaul," Weiss said. "Delinquents like you need to be punished or they'll never learn."

"It's a victimless crime."

"It's reckless and dangerous!"

"Oh come on, princess. Middle of the night. Deserted streets in the outskirts of the industrial district. It's like a ghost town out there. You could drive around for hours without meeting another soul. The only victim in all of it is my baby."

Yang pulled out her scroll and opened it. On the home screen, was a picture of a sleek and powerful-looking yellow dust cycle with black highlights. "Every time they impound her, they ruin the paint job. Costs a small fortune to fix."

"Impractical and flashy, just like its owner."

"Bumblebee?" Blake asked.

Yang ignored Weiss and beamed at Blake with a wide smile. "The finest racing machine ever built!"

"Impressive."

"Seats two, you know. We can take her for a spin any time you want," Yang said, waggling her eyebrows.

"You brought Bumblebee along?" Ruby asked with a frown. "I thought vehicles weren't allowed on Beacon."

"There are rental garages next to the airships on Vale's side. They've got workshops, tools, round-the-clock security; the whole package."

"Are you sure you can afford that without going back _there_?"

"It's not that bad, and they offer discounts for Beacon students, so yeah, for now. Besides, Dad didn't leave me much of a choice. He was going on about turning the garage into a man cave or something, and selling everything I leave behind the moment I'm out of the house."

"He kicked you out?" Ruby said in shock.

Yang laughed. "Still got my room. He just wanted his garage back."

"Good. Wait, what about my stuff?"

"Like?"

Ruby furrowed her brows lost in thought. "My skates!"

Yang's face lit up in mischief, while the color drained out of Ruby's. "Now there's a story that begs to be told."

"Just forget about it. They probably won't fit me anymore anyway. I've grown a lot since I got them."

"You have?"

"Yes!"

Yang eyed her skeptically and hummed but didn't push any further. "Your stuff is in a box in the attic. Dad and I cleared out the garage over the break while you were busy hanging out in the city, mooching weapon mags from an old man."

"I just read them. With permission," Ruby mumbled.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to tell your partner how you singlehandedly destroyed every piece of furniture on our ground floor?"

"Yes!"

"I'm not interested in the first place," Weiss said.

Yang shrugged. "Suit yourself." She sat down facing Blake. "It was so cute. A couple of years ago—"

Ruby jumped at Yang and tried to grapple her to the ground, but the blond barely budged no matter how much effort Ruby put into it.

"What are you doing?"

"Telling Blake about your skates."

"She doesn't want to hear that story!"

Blake was torn. It was getting late and Ruby might take it the wrong way, but she found it difficult to resist the excitement written all over Yang's face.

"Actually—"

"See, she wants to hear it. Now sit down," Yang grabbed Ruby's shoulders and put her down next to herself, "and behave."

Ruby pouted but did as she was told.

"As I was saying, a couple of years back, Ruby became obsessed with going fast. She had just gotten her semblance under control and was looking to outdo herself on a daily basis."

Weiss, out of interest or resignation, settled down on her sleeping bag and joined Yang's audience.

"One of the kids from the neighborhood came by one evening to show off his new skates. He was bragging about how he could go even faster than her now. Naturally, Ruby had to have some too."

"It was perfectly sensible to assume that they would help me go faster."

Yang laughed. "That's not the only thing they did. Getting ahead of ourselves though. She pestered Dad until he got her some in exchange for…" Yang scrunched her brows. "I don't even remember. Garbage duty for a month or something like that."

"Washing the dishes for two weeks."

"Right. At first, it looked like she wouldn't even get to the point where she could use her semblance. The little squirt has two left feet, you know. Seriously, you should see her try to dance. It's hilarious."

"Dancing is a waste of time," Ruby said with a pout.

"After a while, she got the hang of it and started to add her semblance into the mix. It was impressive. There was just one small problem: She was like a freight train without breaks. Once she got moving, there was little she could do but hope for a clear path."

"I'm sure I could fix that with some practice."

"Yes, but how many houses would you ruin in the process?"

Ruby scoffed.

"One nice, warm summer evening, she met her biggest adversary: a pebble!"

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious. She went flying down the street in a red blur, and then she went flying for real. She cleared the curb, tumbled through Dad's favorite roses and all the way through our backyard right into the pool."

"Great. She got lucky. Instead of cracking open her skull, she got a bit wet. Big deal," Weiss said.

"Not quite. You see, it wasn't a pool like you rich people have—hole in the ground and all—but one of those cheap overground pools you put out in the yard over the summer. And she didn't fall in through the top. She went right through the side wall. The pool exploded like a water balloon and caused a flood. Lawns, ruined. Flowerbeds, ruined. The neighbor's kid's sandbox was washed away like a sandcastle by the rising tide. They got lucky though. They had their patio doors closed. We didn't."

"It wasn't that bad," Ruby said. "The kitchen and the bathroom were safe."

"True," Yang said with a laugh. "The only rooms to which it wouldn't have made much of a difference were safe." She leaned back and looked at the ceiling while Ruby grumbled. "I can still remember the look on Dad's face when his brand-new, state-of-the-art home cinema went up in smoke."

"Leave it to you to cause serious property damage with a toy," Weiss said.

"I didn't mean to," Ruby mumbled.

Yang put a hand on her shoulder. "I know. Nobody blamed you, and the insurance covered most of it anyway."

Ruby nodded, looking a bit better.

"Mind you, Dad claiming the list price for his entertainment system helped. I wonder where he got the receipt from since that shady guy down the street doesn't do paper trails."

Neither of the sisters could see the disapproving look on Weiss's face, but her opinion on the matter wasn't hard to guess.

"You didn't get hurt?" Blake asked, pushing her own feelings on the issue aside to stop Weiss from picking a fight by insulting their father.

Ruby shook her head while Yang laughed out loud. "She wouldn't have survived in our family if a small crash like that could break her noggin. Seriously, if just about every adult authority figure in your life has a hunter's license, you get a lot of practice, like it or not."

Weiss got up. "That's great. Now that you have wasted a lot of time telling us about your family's exploits from criminal to stupid and back, how about you get dressed. We've missed our chance to get breakfast, but I am not going to be late for the ceremony."

"Right," Ruby said and jumped up.

Weiss didn't waste any time. The moment Ruby had slipped on her missing boot, she grabbed her by the hood and dragged her away.

"Wait! I haven't even tied my laces yet!"

"You'll manage. We are going up ahead before you and that criminal of a sister of yours can come up with another pointless story nobody has asked for."

"But—"

"No buts!"

Ruby snickered, making Weiss groan in pain.

Blake watched them make their way towards the exit, leaving many confused students in their wake.

"Look at them getting along," Yang said.

"Are you sure about that?"

"They'll get there. The little princess could have dragged Ruby off a lot sooner, but she stayed and listened to the story instead."

Blake watched as Weiss dragged Ruby along all the way through the ballroom and out the doors. Yang had a point, but she couldn't help but worry about the younger girl being caught in the clutches of a Schnee.

"You don't have to wear it, you know," Yang said, looking at the jacket sitting in Blake's lap.

Blake felt it between her fingers. The leather was thin and soft. It didn't feel like the stuffy, rigid bike jackets she had worn in the past. It wouldn't provide much protection either, but with a trained aura that was hardly necessary.

"It's not that. You haven't even worn it yourself yet, have you? I shouldn't be the one breaking it in."

Yang sighed. "I can always get a new one if something happens to it."

"It wouldn't feel right though. And I couldn't possibly pay you back."

"Seriously, it's just a jacket. I really don't care. Unless you've got a better reason than money, just get dressed so we can appease the ice princess."

Blake couldn't think of anything off the top of her head. Yang was about her size, it was a nice jacket, and she needed something to wear. She held it up in front of her. The zipper was set off to the right, allowing for a large burning heart to mark it on the front flap right over the wearer's. It was mirrored by an even larger rendition in the center of the back.

Well, there was one issue she had with the jacket besides likely costing more than her entire wardrobe combined: She was about to go up on stage, in front of the entire school, flying her partner's colors. Most students wouldn't notice or care, but Yang's former classmates were bound to catch on.

She remembered how the girls from Signal had talked about Yang in the locker room, how they had felt entitled to her and looked at her as nothing but a ticket to easy street.

She got up and slipped it on.

"Looking good," Yang said.

Blake pulled up the zipper far enough to make sure that the burning heart was in full view and met Yang's eyes. "I might just hold on to it for a while."

* * *

Weiss and Ruby had cut it close, but they had arrived at the auditorium in time for the ceremony to begin. The headmaster and his assistant had taken their places up on stage, while the first-year students, just like two days prior, had been herded into the center. The main difference to the welcoming ceremony were the older students filling the ranks surrounding them.

So far, nothing of interest had happened. The headmaster had given yet another speech followed by some pointers on the logistics of the event courtesy of professor Goodwitch.

Weiss scanned the crowd in the center for the third time since she had arrived. Neither the blond mountain of hair nor the purple bow were anywhere to be seen.

Prying Ruby away from her sister had felt necessary in order to move things along, but she had known it to have been a mistake the moment they had left the ballroom. The blond brute was like a black hole of laziness and irresponsibility that dragged her little sister into her horizon whenever she came near. What Weiss had overlooked was that her effect on Blake was very similar. Instead of being somewhat late as a group, she had created a scenario where she might end up on stage, in front of the entire student body and faculty, with half a team missing.

Silence fell over the crowd as the large screens suspended over the stage came to life, showing the first team to be announced. After a short wait, four boys Weiss vaguely remembered seeing around campus lined up on stage facing the headmaster.

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces."

She could feel Ruby's irritating smile without having to look at her. "Don't."

"What?" Ruby asked with self-satisfied smugness dripping from her voice.

"From this day forward, you will work together as team CRDL (Cardinal) lead by Cardin Winchester."

The audience applauded.

"Just don't."

"I—"

"Told you so!"

Weiss cringed at the intrusive sing-song.

"Yang!"

"Hey there, teammate!"

The sisters high-fived.

"Keep your voices down," Weiss said. "It's bad enough that you are late. Could we not be the only team that gets a reprimand for interrupting the ceremony?"

Yang ignored her and pointed at the stage. "Oh, look, Ruby! It's the chicken you insulted on the airship."

Some badly dressed boy with a ridiculous haircut flinched.

"I didn't mean to! I mean, look at that hair, and that nose, and that neck. It's an easy mistake to make."

The crowd around them started laughing, while the expressions of the people up on stage darkened considerably.

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have called him a chicken to his face. That's bad—"

"Manners?"

Yang was cut off over the microphone by professor Goodwitch. Most students, including Ruby, had the good sense to take the hint, but Yang just had to push it further. "Exactly!" she said with a laugh.

"As is arriving late, which is something you are not going to make a habit out of, I presume."

"Well, we didn't actually miss our turn, so—"

Blake elbowed her in the side.

"I mean, no, ma'am."

Weiss frowned at a group of students, standing huddled together not far off, that seemed to have taken a particular interest in the exchange all of a sudden.

"Miss Xiao Long, please remember that your conduct will reflect on your entire team not just yourself."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, Miss Rose, Miss Xiao Long, is there anything else you would like to share with your fellow students before we continue?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Nothing I could—"

Blake's elbow made contact for the second time.

"Seriously?" Yang hissed.

"Just say no."

She rolled her eyes. "No."

"Thank you, Miss Belladonna," professor Goodwitch said with a sigh. "Now, girls, please be quiet."

The screens went blank and the murmurs in the auditorium picked up as team CRDL made its exit from the stage. Shortly after, a new and very familiar set of faces appeared.

"See? Told you we should have told them yesterday," Ruby said.

"It was your stick-in-the-mud partner that stopped you, not me," Yang said.

Weiss could feel her forehead throbbing.

"Well, yours distracted me with a pillow fight."

"Would you two just shut up already!"

Weiss realized too late what she had done. The crowd—aside from a giggling Nora—had fallen silent and all eyes were focused on her.

"Miss Schnee, I appreciate the sentiment, but keep in mind that the auditorium has excellent acoustics," professor Goodwitch said.

The muscles in her jaw tensed up as she nodded.

"As for you two, consider this your last warning. One more interruption and you will start your time at Beacon in detention."

The sisters nodded. It seemed unusually deferential of Yang until Weiss spotted the subtle smirk on her lips. It didn't bode well, but for the time being, they both behaved.

In the meantime, the next team had assembled on stage and stood to attention.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team JNPR (Juniper) lead by Jaune Arc."

Nora's resolve to hold still was broken the moment the audience started applauding. She jumped at Ren and hugged him, giggling wildly.

Weiss stared at the stage in disbelieve. Partners by eye contact, team compositions based on whatever random trinket one picked up, that she might be able to get over, eventually, but promoting that buffoon to team leader over Pyrrha, that was madness.

"Lead by…?" Jaune stammered.

He looked as shocked as Weiss felt. That alone should have been proof enough that a horrible mistake had been committed.

"Congratulations, young man," professor Ozpin said.

Pyrrha didn't seem to mind, which was equally as puzzling to Weiss as the choice of leader itself. She playfully punched Jaune in the shoulder, toppling him over, and applause made way for laughter.

"I don't get it," Yang said. "That guy is, like, a hair away from dropping out or worse, and now he's team leader?"

"I keep telling you he's not that bad," Ruby said.

"I know he's a nice guy, but all he did was complain, fall on his ass, and talk about running away."

"From what the others told me, he did a great job at the whole leader thing during their fight."

Yang hummed.

Pyrrha helped Jaune up, and they made their way off the stage. The monitor went blank for a couple of seconds before the next set of pictures appeared.

"Now that's a good looking team if I ever saw one," Yang said.

"Just try not to get yourself into detention up there," Blake said as she left for the stage, quickly followed by the rest of her team.

"Try, I can do."

There was no turning back for Weiss. Her teammates had been chosen: a child, a brute, and, well, Blake. The latter, at least, wasn't as easily categorized as the sisters.

They lined up on stage. Weiss took a deep breath and stood in perfect form with her arms behind her back. Everyone else followed suit. Everyone but Yang, who stood with a fist on her hip and a cocky smile on her face.

"Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as team RWBY (Ruby) lead by Ruby Rose."

The world around Weiss faded. She barely noticed the applause, the surprised look on Ruby's face, or Yang jumping past her to catch her sister in a tight bear hug.

She had been groomed all her life to run one of the largest companies in existence.

"Yang! Can't breathe," Ruby groaned as she struggled against her sister's hold.

She had been given the best education in academics, arts, and combat.

Yang released Ruby who, after taking a moment to catch her breath, fell in laughing with her sister.

There was no reason to choose the little brat over her. There was nothing Ruby had to offer, she did not have and more.

"So, ready to get out of here?" Yang asked.

"Miss Xiao Long!" Everyone on stage but Weiss flinched. "It is mandatory for all students to be in attendance for the entire ceremony."

Yang rubbed the back of her neck, laughing like an idiot. "Any chance you could pretend not to notice?"

Professor Goodwitch raised a threatening eyebrow.

"Right, never mind. We'll just get off the stage then."

"That would be for the best.

Weiss didn't have the energy to stop Yang from making a fool out of her team. Not when it took every bit of self-control she could muster keep herself from jumping down the headmaster's throat demanding answers right then and there.

She followed the others, doing her best to keep a straight face, but they didn't get far. Yang had barely taken a step in the direction of their old spot when professor Goodwitch's voice echoed through the speakers again.

"Front row, Miss Xiao Long."

Yang stopped without warning, causing Ruby to bump into her and almost fall over as she bounced back.

"Seriously? We're not going to—"

"Front and center where I can keep an eye on you." Professor Goodwitch pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "And do be quiet."

Yang sighed and moved to an open spot in front of the stage followed by the rest of her team.

The ceremony continued to introduce each and every new team that would soon walk the halls of Beacon on a daily basis to the assembled student body followed by some of the professors introducing themselves to the new students on behalf of the school. For Weiss, however, the remainder of the ceremony went by in a blur overshadowed by a single question: Why her and not me?

* * *

"Man, I thought that would never end," Yang said, walking in front of Blake with her hands crossed at the back of her head.

The ceremony had run over the double period it had been assigned to, cutting into Beacon's lunch break by a good deal.

"You didn't exactly help," Ruby said.

"Yeah, Yeah. I hadn't had a teacher make me stand in front of the class since elementary school."

"Only because Signal went with the standing out in the hallway approach."

"Much better. Let's you sneak out your scroll to pass the time."

"And end up in detention because of it."

"Still worth it."

Blake took a peek at Weiss who had been uncharacteristically quiet despite all the openings Yang had been giving her to get a shot in. Ever since they had been up on stage, her eyes had been staring into the distance unfocused, but at least she was keeping up with them.

"The speeches were a bit excessive though," Ruby said.

"A bit? Whatshisname rambled on for twenty minutes about how he singlehandedly saved a caravan from bandits and a pack of beowolves in a single afternoon and made it back home in time for dinner."

"Professor Port?"

"Yeah. We get it. He's a hunter, he's been out there, and he's never missed a meal in his life."

"That's mean."

"What? He's quite portly," Yang said, waggling her eyebrows at Ruby, who snickered despite her former protest.

Blake could only roll her eyes at their antics.

"I can't wait for next year when we'll be the ones up in the stands welcoming the new students. Being a senior is going to be so cool."

"They'll still be a year older than you. And taller."

Ruby playfully shoved her sister. "Way to ruin my moment."

The crowd that had left the auditorium had largely dispersed, and the newly christened team RWBY found itself alone on one of the many winding paths that ran all over Beacon's campus.

"So, lunch then off to paint the town red?" Yang asked.

"Sounds good," Ruby said. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, I know just the place, but it's a surprise."

"Aw, come on. Tell me!"

"Nope. Your sweet tooth is gonna love it though, so you better skip dessert."

Ruby grumbled half-heartedly but dropped the issue.

A few steps later, Yang looked over her shoulder at Weiss. Ruby followed suit. They studied her for a moment, shared a quick look, and turned back around. Weiss had shown no reaction at all, but at least Blake wasn't the only one who had noticed her odd behavior.

Silence fell over the group as they continued on. Thanks to the special attention Yang had received, they had been among the last students to leave the auditorium, and Beacon's sprawling and winding layout had the first-year students quickly dispersing in all directions as they were trying to find their way on the yet unfamiliar campus.

For a while, it seemed like they had it all to themselves and Blake took her chance to enjoy the quiet while it lasted to soak up the surprisingly serene and peaceful atmosphere of Beacon. They were attending a combat academy, but at moments like these, it felt more like an outing to the park on a quiet afternoon in late summer.

It wasn't a moment meant to last though. At the corner of what Blake suspected to be an office building of some sort, they were joined by two girls, one tall and athletic with short blond hair, the other smaller and curvy with wavy brown hair and heavy makeup. Neither of which would have left much of an impression on Blake if it hadn't been for the unfriendly look the taller girl had shot in their direction from the stage during the team ceremony.

While the brunet seemed apprehensive, the blond wasted no time homing in on Yang with what could only be described as a hostile smirk. "Look at what we have here, the girl who thinks she's better than everyone else and her dorky team."

Blake's ears twitched at the familiar voice. Gossip girl number three.

"Really? It's been weeks. How about a friendly hello instead?"

"Sure, why not? After all, you went out of your way to catch up with us, right?"

The challenge remained unanswered.

"Guess you had your hands full with all the celebrities and rich girls you've been hanging out with. Not to mention showing off that you're still getting preferential treatment even without daddy around to protect you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, please. Like you weren't trying to push professor Goodwitch's buttons in front of the entire school until she threatened you with detention. At least you shut up then. Wait, no, you didn't. Yet here you are, detention-free. I wonder why that is."

"She was swept off her feet by my irresistible charm?"

The blond scoffed, prompting the brunet to take a small step back. Ruby mirrored the gesture, standing closer in line with Blake and Weiss than her sister.

"Looks like your family's clutches reach farther than I thought. Why else would the little brat have been moved up by two years? And team leader? You've got to be joking."

Blake noticed movement in the corner of her eyes. The mention of Ruby's position seemed to have ripped Weiss out of her stupor, leaving her to study the situation with a calculating gaze.

"The fact that she could kick your ass with her eyes closed and her arms tied behind her back might have something to do with it," Yang said, her usually playful tone wearing thin.

"Yeah, right. How much did that cost you? Or did it come for free with the rich girl?"

"Excuse me?" Weiss said. "I resent the implication that my family's fortune or status had anything to do with my placement at this school."

"Don't give me that crap. Everyone knows how you got here. Which building do you think will be the first to be dedicated to the Schnee family for their generous donations? Or are our school uniforms going come with an SDC logo from now on?"

Weiss scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"You're pushing your luck. You do realize that, right?"

It wasn't difficult to tell that Yang was losing her patience—for a former classmate, it should have been obvious—but the girl showed no intentions of treading lightly nor was anyone jumping in to diffuse the situation. Quite the opposite, in fact. Weiss was shooting icy daggers at the offending blond while Ruby's eyes were downcast and guilt-ridden. The brunet looked closer to running away than anything else, which worried Blake the most.

The blond only rolled her eyes. "At least there is a reason to have those two on your team, but what about her?" she asked, nodding in Blake's direction. "Wearing your insignia to an official ceremony. What is she, your new pet or something?"

A low growl escaped Blake. Fortunately, it was overshadowed by Yang, who had barely given the blond the chance to finish her thought before she had grabbed her collar and yanked her off her feet, effortlessly suspending her midair with one arm. Her scarlet eyes had broken through, glaring at the frozen girl with an expression that was eerily reminiscent of the one that had stopped a charging ursa in its tracks.

"Listen, you little—"

She was cut off by Ruby, who had latched onto her arm in the blink of an eye. "We were going to celebrate becoming a team, remember? We can't do that with you in detention!"

Yang closed her eyes and dropped the blond who stumbled but managed to keep herself from falling. She took a deep breath and carefully put Ruby down. When she opened her eyes again, the gentle lilac had returned, but the hard edge on her face remained.

"Looks like you got lucky," she said to the blond, who took a step back in response.

"That she did," said another familiar voice from around the corner.

A black-haired boy, average by every definition of the word, was escorting a small girl with a pair of pointy ears poking out of of her light-brown shoulder-long hair. A bushy tail was swaying behind her with every step.

"Sandy. It's been too long," Yang said, greeting gossip girl number two with a smile that did not match the strained look in her eyes.

"The pleasure is all mine. Though," she scrunched her brows and took a quick look around, her eyes lingering longer on Blake than anyone else, "I'm a bit surprised."

Yang laughed. "And here I thought that was impossible. Didn't anybody tell you? Apparently, you know everything."

"Not quite, and it happens," Sandy said with a smirk. "Like, now, for example. If I was a betting girl, I would have put my money on the insults against little Ruby, not the ones against your new partner. Makes me wonder if there is something you want to share about her."

Blake narrowed her eyes, not liking the sudden interest in her person.

"Nah," Yang waved her off. "You're reading too much into things. Bad habit of yours."

"Still, it seems out of character for you to let yourself go that quickly. Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a certain blond teacher no longer breathing down your neck, now, would it?"

"Oh, come on. You know my dad's cool. Why would him not being around make any difference?"

"I wonder. Either way, it would make for a great article. I've even got the perfect picture for the front page." She pulled open her scroll and flipped it over. On the screen was a close-up of Yang's eyes taken moments ago. "I was thinking something along the lines of _Behind Scarlet Eyes: Queen Bee Reveals Her Stinger_."

"You've done better," Yang said nonchalantly.

"It's a work in progress." She turned the scroll back around to study the picture. "I might turn it into an in-depth profile piece instead. After all, I have years worth of material to work with that would be wasted on front page eye candy."

"Good idea. Why don't you take your time with that? A couple of years or so. You wouldn't want to waste material that awesome on anything less than perfect."

Sandy put on a playful frown that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "I have something more suitable for my premiere piece with Beacon's student newspaper picked out anyway."

"Well, don't let us hold you up. I'm sure you're busy enough without wasting your time hanging out with us."

"Actually, team RWBY is just the team I was looking for."

"I don't know who you think you are," Weiss said, "but I have no interest in being part of whatever sensationalist tripe you intend to sell."

"Can't you just imagine it though? A chance to meet the real Weiss rather than the heiress overshadowed by her family's reputation. It would sell like sliced bread! Are you sure you don't want to give me a hand?"

"Absolutely."

"Even if I tell you that you have a higher priority than my good friend here?" Sandy said, motioning towards Yang.

"I'm not competing with that brute or anyone else over a spot in your inconsequential paper. Write about her whatever you like. It has nothing to do with me."

"Oh well. I'll give you some time to think that over. Luckily, my first choice is a lot more cooperative. No offense, but not even the Queen of Signal and the Schnee heiress combined could match the reader's interest in the Mistral champion."

Yang sighed. "Three days in and you're already exploiting a girl that's too nice to say no?"

"Merely giving her the chance to correct whatever mistakes my research on her might turn up. If anything, it's the smart thing to do, wouldn't you agree?" Sandy asked, looking at Weiss.

"Hardly. The smart thing to do when confronted by pesky rats is to have them escorted from the property by armed guards," Weiss turned to Yang, "which is why I do not understand why we are wasting our time talking to this girl."

"Now, now," Sandy said. "I'm not conducting an interview, just having a chat with an old friend. No need to be hostile, right?"

"Really?" Yang asked. "I thought you came looking for team RWBY, not your good old friend."

"A happy coincidence, but now that you mention it…" She swiped her finger over her scroll a couple of times, revealing a wall of text.

" _Giant Slayers: Amazing Truth or Tall Tale?_ " Ruby read out loud with a frown.

"Team JNPR is quite cheerful and friendly, isn't it? All I wanted was to have a word with Pyrrha, but Nora and Jaune just couldn't help themselves. They told me all about their initiation, and, as it happens, you feature prominently in their story. I'd love to get your take on what happened to corroborate it with theirs." Sandy's eyes glanced over each of them before coming to rest on Blake with a sly smile. "If only half of what they told me is true, I might just have to keep a close eye on all four of you."

The implied threat was far less subtle than the first time around, but before Blake could figure out what to make of it, Yang wrapped her arm around Sandy's shoulders, drawing her attention away.

"You know what? You're right," she said. "Here we are, old friends who haven't seen each other in ages, and all we talk about is work?" She pulled Sandy in close. "Why don't we go catch up, just the two of us?"

"Well, I have all weekend to work on my article, and I have come across some curious things over the break you might be interested in." The sly smile on Sandy's lips widened into a predatory grin, revealing a small fang in the corner of her mouth. "Ever heard of a club called Junior's?"

Yang answered with a forced laugh as she dragged the girl around the corner of the building and out of sight.

Blake stared after them, wondering if she should follow. No one else seemed inclined to do so, which left her with little choice but to bide her time if she wanted to avoid having to explain her disappearance to the rest of her team.

An indignant huff pulled her attention back to the group.

"What was that all about?" Weiss asked.

"I'm not sure," Ruby said.

"I've never seen them act like that," the brunet said, finally outing herself as gossip girl number one. "I didn't even know they were friends. I mean, I've seen them talk, but Sandy always said that was just for the paper."

"Whatever. I'm done wasting my time with the dork squad. We're leaving," the blond said and walked away.

The brunet seemed lost for a moment but quickly scurried after her.

"Sorry about that," the boy said with a sigh, "whatever that was. Seriously, I have no idea what's going on, but I hope we can all get along."

"Now!" the blond bellowed without looking back.

"Or at least not kill each other," he added and hurried after his teammates.

"Oh!" Ruby said. "Now I remember why the two of them looked familiar."

"They went to your former school with your sister," Weiss said.

"No. I mean, yes, that too, but they were members of Yang's fan club."

"Fan club?" Blake asked.

Ruby nodded.

"There is just no end to it with the two of you, is there?" Weiss asked with a groan. "What could that blond brute possibly have done to warrant that kind of attention? It can't be acting, that much is obvious."

"Or singing," Blake said without thinking.

The mention made Ruby shudder. "Definitely not singing. She's not a bad actress, but the one time she tried out for a school musical was," the struggle for the right word was written all over Ruby's face, "memorable. They never let her try out again. Aside from that, she's kind of cool, and gorgeous, and nice, and people like her."

"Debatable, but hardly enough of a reason," Weiss said.

"Well, she has been the top-ranked fighter at school for a long time and the ace of the track and field club. Plus, there was a lot of swooning whenever Bumblebee was involved."

"Ridiculous."

"I didn't get it either. It's just a bike, not a cool weapon. There's nothing to swoon over."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. "Are there any more former fan girls with a grudge we need to watch out for?"

"Don't think so." Ruby scrunched her brow. "Nope, not until next year. Most of them were younger. Though, I suppose they could come visit anytime."

"Fantastic," Weiss said as she walked off towards the dining hall with Ruby at her heels.

Blake stopped at the corner of the building Yang had dragged Sandy behind. The timing had been too perfect to be mere coincidence, but had she dragged the other girl away to protect herself, to protect her partner, or to grill her "old friend" for information in private? Yang's proclamation to stand by her side was still fresh on Blake's mind, but was it good enough considering what was at stake? Should she even trust it in the first place?

Blake shook her head and followed her teammates before they could wonder where she had disappeared to. Whatever was about to happen, she did not make for a pleasant lunch companion that day.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Yes, overall things are getting sillier. It's fair to say that we have moved past the point where we could even pretend to be dealing with real-world issues in a deep and meaningful fashion. If anything, you probably should look at this story like you would at, say, a high-school or college anime with an inkling towards the comedic side. Not the insane comedic side but the lighthearted.

Moving on…

It's a bit late, but one change from canon I probably should have clarified all the way back in the second part is the location of the Rose-Xiao-Long family home. In canon, it is a log cabin in the woods. I moved it into a suburb/village area (still on Patch) since I have some things planned for it that work better if it's not some lone shack out in the middle of nowhere. Having people for neighbors just adds more options to play with than trees.

Now, as far as team SCOP is concerned, you might have noticed the lack of names despite meeting them right after the team ceremony. It's a bit silly, I know, but it worked out reasonably well for now. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at naming things, so if anyone wants to give me a hand (and save me a lot of time), I would welcome it.

Sandy is named after Cassandra, the doom saying/false oracle of Greek mythology. She is a fox faunus (of the light-brown rather than the red variety) and team leader. The theme of the team is derived from her, which should be somewhere along the lines of journalism of all kinds, gossip, fortune telling, and so on. The name is fixed, so you know which letters to work with, and you've met them all, kind of, so you have a basic idea of their personalities and design. If anyone wants to go further than just names, all power to you, though, as far as combat readiness is concerned, you might want to focus on the athletic blond.

That being said, there is no need to panic. Original characters taking over fan fiction is a pet peeve of mine. Occasionally, bit players are necessary, but they will _not_ steal the show.

That is all.


	14. Toast

**Toast**

Yang leaned back as she watched a passenger airship slowly drift off towards Vale like a giant, mechanical turtle. Her reunion with Sandy had taken them to the outskirts of Beacon where they had spent the better part of two hours sitting on a bench "catching up".

That girl had always had a knack for the investigative part of her favored profession, but she had outdone herself this time around. Not only had she compiled a surprisingly accurate account of what had happened during initiation, she had also managed to put together an impressive portfolio of police and news reports about the fire that had claimed Junior's club.

Why would that picture of a traffic cam two blocks down the road from the club even exist when Yang had neither run a red light nor broken the speed limit? What a waste of a night spent being a good little driver. And what was wrong with the VPD to allow a teenage girl without a press pass to get her hands on pictures and documents that should never have left the station's archives?

Fortunately, the nosy fox's interest in that particular incident was not focused on Yang, and all it had taken to shift the spotlight were a few details here and there.

The changes to the account on team RWBY's initiation were far more substantial, but what choice did Yang have? After Ruby's continued insistence on not wanting to be anything special, she couldn't well let the first article about her little sister give away how amazing she was.

Yang sighed. Now that Ruby was living her life-long dream as a huntress—team leader no less—her rise to notoriety was only a matter of time, but as her big sister, Yang would do whatever she had to in order to allow Ruby to ease into it.

She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, enjoying the gentle caress of the afternoon sun on her skin.

The little squirt might want to be a normal girl, but she was bound to complain about the inaccuracies if she ever read the article. She was unlikely to confront Sandy about it though, and it should be easy enough to play it off as her spicing up her story for some reason.

What worried Yang more was Weiss's strong reaction to the idea that she might not have earned her right to attend Beacon. Who would have thought that the rich princess, of all people, would insist on shining by her own merits? Yang could respect that—Ruby sure would—but it wasn't very helpful given Weiss's expanded role in the tale. She might well hunt down Sandy to demand answers or turn her into an icicle.

Yang stood up with a groan and stretched her long limbs. She had been sitting on the uncomfortable wooden bench for too long.

She would deal with Ruby and Weiss once the article went live. With a bit of luck, it might not even become an issue. Ruby had rarely ever read anything Sandy had written, and if Weiss's disdain on meeting her was anything to go by, she was just as unlikely to follow her work. Blake was a different matter, especially after Sandy had made quite a show of singling her out, but Yang couldn't imagine her partner objecting to the marginalized role she had been given or drawing unnecessary attention to it.

Yang made her way over to one of the many vending machines lining the airship platform. She picked an iced milk coffee—not her favorite brand, but it would have to do—and held her scroll up to the wireless pad to pay for it.

She took a small sip to test the waters. It was nice and cool, but not sweet enough. She took another sip. Definitely not enough milk.

She was about to leave when she spotted the customer service information on the vending machine. Why not? She pulled out her scroll again, and a couple of minutes later, a strongly worded suggestion to switch to a better brand had been sent on its way.

She picked up her can from where she had left it on top of the vending machine, took another sip, and hummed. It wasn't so bad now that she was getting used to it. Oh well. Letting off some steam had helped her mood, and they would just throw away the complaint anyway.

Yang set off towards the dining hall to look for her team. She had wasted enough time as it was—a prepackaged ham and cheese from one of the vending machines had stood in for lunch—and they had a celebration full of cake and freshly brewed coffee to get to.

She stopped with a groan. With the nosy fox popping up, she had forgotten to prime her trap. Her scroll was whipped out for the third time to send off a quick message, hoping it wasn't too late. The reply arrived almost immediately, and the day was looking up again. She would blow the little cookie monster's mind and might even be able to impress Blake while she was at it. Or at least make her loosen up a bit.

Satisfied with herself, Yang continued down the path towards Beacon, but she didn't get far.

"You look almost as happy as your friend did on her way back."

Yang turned to find Blake leaning against a tall tree, well hidden from the path. "Been spying on me, have we? There's really no need to be jealous. Sandy and I are just friends."

Blake responded by narrowing her eyes. "You didn't expect me to fall for that act you put on before you dragged her away, did you?"

"Honestly? No, but there are some things that are better discussed in private, especially when it comes to the nosy little fox."

Blake's expression darkened even more. "What things?"

Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. So much for making her partner loosen up a bit. "How about I tell you that you don't have to worry about her, and we leave it at that? I'm on your side, remember?"

Blake lowered her eyes, her inner turmoil clearly visible on her face. It wasn't a full vote of confidence, but seeing the guarded girl at least considering to extend her trust felt like a step in the right direction.

Yang stepped off the path and sat down against the tree.

"Ruby and Weiss?"

"Dorm administration, sorting out our room."

Yang laughed. "Poor Ruby. She's probably been demoted to pack mule for the princess. I'm not sure that girl understood that she would be living in little more than a broom closet with three other people when she packed her bags."

"Yang."

"Not the time for small talk, gotcha."

She patted the ground next to her, offering a seat that was taken with reluctance. Blake kept a good distance between them and sat rigidly with her eyes fixed on the ground. The hostility she had displayed had made way for the all too familiar anxiety. Not for the first time, Yang found herself wondering what her partner had gone through to leave her that tightly wound.

"You really don't have to worry about Sandy. I know how to handle her. But if you must know, we renegotiated a deal we had struck during our Signal days."

"What kind of deal?"

"Sandy fancies herself a bit of an investigative reporter. She's pretty good at it actually. Over the years, we've crossed paths occasionally and have come to an understanding. I slip her some interesting tidbits now and then, and in return, her work stays light on mentions of attractive, fiery blonds."

"It doesn't sound like the sort of thing I would expect to find in a student newspaper."

"She has other outlets. Good thing too. That girl has stepped on some very dangerous toes, but as far as the student newspaper is concerned, she's mostly just been a pain in my ass. Good instincts though. She dug her claws in the first time we met and never let go."

Yang's brows furrowed. She could have sworn she had spotted a hint of disappointment in Blake's eyes, but she brushed the thought aside. Her partner's poker face was difficult to read, and confronting the already anxious girl about every minor twitch could blow up in her face fast.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm perfectly capable of drawing a lot of attention and building a somewhat dubious reputation all by myself, but she sure made it easier. Hot, fiery blonds sell with a teenage audience."

"And Ruby?"

"Apparently, the cute little sisters of hot, fiery blonds sell just as well." Yang sighed. "I didn't mind the attention, but I wasn't so sure how Ruby would handle it. She's insecure enough when it comes to dealing with people without having the entire school read about it the next morning."

"You asked her to stay away from Ruby."

Yang nodded.

"That didn't come for free."

"No. But the price was surprisingly reasonable. A comment here, an interview there, a picture now and then; as long as I would stop blowing her off or messing with her, which I might have done on occasion, Ruby wouldn't become an issue."

"I see. And that deal needed to be renegotiated in order to do what? Include me? I didn't ask you to—"

"No!" Yang sat up to face a surprised Blake head on. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to act like you genuinely fear for your life, you don't get to act like one wrong word out of your mouth would spell the end of your time here, and you don't get to ambush me to interrogate me only to turn around and tell me to stay out of it. That's exactly what I was talking about last night. You are my teammate and my partner, and I'm not going to sit on the sidelines just because you're too stubborn for your own good."

For a moment it looked like Blake was going to argue, but she visually deflated instead.

Yang took in her slumping figure, wondering if her temper had done more harm than good. She reached out to pull her partner into a hug but thought better of it. It wasn't Ruby she was dealing with—who had yet to lose her love for cuddling with her big sister, at least when she felt down in the dumps—but reserved and distant Blake. The last thing she wanted to do was to spook her further or push her into lashing out.

She sighed and leaned back against the tree. "Look, Sandy is after me. With a bit of luck, she'll be more interested in Pyrrha and Weiss—even I can't compete with a genuine celebrity or quite possibly the richest girl in the World—but I'll still be on the menu, and everyone close to me is collateral damage. Chances are, you're a target simply because you chose me as your partner, and the least I can do is keep her away from you."

"Aren't you doing the same thing? Trying to solve your problems on your own?"

Yang smiled gently. "Maybe. Maybe I'm just doing my bit for the team by protecting my teammates. Or maybe I'm just selfish. If they throw you out, how will I find another partner as amazing as you?"

A soft blush showed on Blake's cheeks and her expression softened.

"Either way, I'm risking some hushed whispers and pointed fingers. How about you?"

Blake took a deep breath but stayed silent. It was all the confirmation Yang needed to know that she had done the right thing.

"Besides, you were a freebie. Kind of."

"How do you mean?"

"She was never going to give me Weiss, and I already had Ruby. You were the only one left to barter for. Only, I didn't have to. I didn't even have to ask. She just gave you up under the same conditions as Ruby."

Blake frowned. "Just like that?"

"Yeah."

"Did she—did she tell you anything about me?"

Blake looked like she wanted to be swallowed by the ground as she asked the question. She had never looked more timid or insecure. It was heartbreaking.

Yang sat up to face her partner. "Look at me."

No reaction.

"Blake, look at me."

Her head rose slowly, just barely far enough to meet Yang with dull amber eyes a far cry from the vibrant gold that had first drawn her attention.

"She hasn't told me a thing, and I promised you I wouldn't pry. Pretty sure asking people about you behind your back counts."

Blake nodded.

"Just so you know, the worst thing you could do is confront her."

Blake's head snapped up.

"Hit the nail on the head, haven't I?" Yang said with a smirk that earned her a raised eyebrow, urging her to continue. "She likes to fish. It's one of her favorite tricks. Seriously, you don't want to know how many times I fell for that one."

"You want me to ignore her and hope for the best?"

"I'm asking you to trust me on this. Sandy and I, we've been playing this game for years. I know her. I know how she thinks, and I know what she's interested in. If she already knows something, she's decided not to use it, but if she's fishing, you will only give her more ammunition and jack up the price for both of us." Yang leaned back against the tree and let her eyes drift towards the sky. "Don't poke the fox, is what I'm saying."

Blake closed her eyes and sighed. "I've met her twice, and looking back at it, the first time sounds less like random gossiping and more like trying to instigate something, while the second time around, her timing was too convenient for my taste. Not to mention that it all sounds dangerously close to blackmail to me."

"Nah, she's not that bad, really, but you can bet on it that she's been nudging her team in the right direction to make something interesting happen."

"Which doesn't make me feel any better about how you're asking me to handle this situation."

"I know it's a big leap, but—"

Blake shook her head. "You're right. Confronting her would only add fuel to the fire. It's just…" She let her head fall again.

It might have been petty, but Yang felt a sting of disappointment. Blake had shown no hesitation in trusting her with her life out in the forest, but now that they were back, things seemed to be different. Or was it because someone else was involved?

"How about this: I'll show you some of her stuff. Not the school gossip and reviews of cafeteria food, but the real deal. It might give you a better idea of what to expect of her and help put your mind at ease."

"I suppose it's worth a try."

"Good. I'll have to ask her for permission though."

"Permission? I thought they had been published."

"They have been, but not under her name. Hard-hitting investigative journalism isn't something people expect from a teenager, or so I'm told, and I wasn't kidding about her pissing off some very dangerous people. If I point you there now, I'll blow her cover."

"I see."

"Don't get me wrong. It's not about whether I trust you or not, but about breaking her confidence. I mean, Ruby doesn't even know that there is more to Sandy than the school paper, and I only found out because I caught her with her hand in the cookie jar."

Blake shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I understand. But won't that tip her off too?"

"It's better than you jumping out from behind a tree looking like you're ready to beat it out of her."

"I wasn't—"

"Going to beat it out of me?" Yang smirked. "I know. I would have totally won."

Blake raised an eyebrow, some of her fight returning. "I'm sure we'll get a chance to find out eventually."

"Nothing better than a good fight to improve teamwork. Well, almost nothing," Yang said with a suggestive wink.

A faint blush crept into Blake's cheeks, but she managed to keep a straight face. It was getting more difficult to catch her off guard, but it was worth the effort. A flustered Blake could rival Ruby in adorableness, and anything that cracked her partner's poker face and helped drive those worry lines away was fair game to Yang.

"Seriously though, think about it. Sleep on it for a night, and tell me what you want to do. A day or two won't make much of a difference, and as long as you don't go after her guns blazing, we can figure this out together. That's what partners do, right?"

Amber eyes mustered Yang. Blake's inner conflict was once again clearly visible, but she relented before long. "Right."

"Good." Yang jumped up and offered a hand. "Now stop being such a sourpuss. It's time to celebrate and stuff our faces with happy food."

"I'm not sure I'm in a celebrating mood."

"Just try. If not for your own sake then for Ruby's. And who knows, you might surprise yourself and have some fun while you're at it."

"No promises." Blake took Yang's hand and was promptly hoisted up. "But I'll try."

"It's going to be awesome, you'll see," Yang said, dragging Blake along towards the dorms.

* * *

Team RWBY's dorm room unlocked with a beep as Yang held up her scroll in front of the keypad next to the door. Not that Blake paid it any mind. She was distracted by the hand hovering in front of the electronic gizmo. The same hand that had brought her a surprisingly refreshing night's sleep and had dragged her all the way back to the dorms before she knew what was happening.

Granted, she had been distracted trying to figure out how to handle the nosy newspaper girl without getting thrown out of Beacon by the time the weekend rolled around, but that was not a good enough excuse for her lack of self-awareness. People might not have noticed them holding hands the night before, but there was no way they had missed them walking around campus hand in hand.

At least Yang had dropped it once they had made it to the dorm administration to register for their room. Still, she would have to pay closer attention to her behavior around her partner in the future.

The door swung open to reveal a cramped room. Two bunk beds in the far corners framed a large double window, while a couple of small wooden writing desks and brass standing lamps lined the near corners. The only other pieces of furniture were a low bookcase under the window sill and a fading circular rug in the center.

It was difficult to say if their room was on the small side for four people or if it just looked that way because of the many white-and-blue pieces of clamshell suitcases littered about. Either way, it was more luxurious than most places Blake had stayed in over the years.

Two more doors could be found on the side walls, but any hopes of a private bathroom or shower where dashed when Blake caught a look through the door on the left. Behind it, Weiss was busy filling the shelves and coat hangers of a walk-in closet with her wardrobe.

It had been a fool's hope given the common bathroom and kitchen found on every floor but one that Blake had entertained to the very end. The setup was preferable to having to use the locker room every morning, but the lack of privacy would not make her life at Beacon any easier.

"Yang, look! Bunk beds!" Ruby said in lieu of a greeting.

"Yeah," Yang said, eyeing them cautiously. "Please tell me they came with the room."

"I don't see how that matters."

"Just tell me you didn't order them, bring them along, or build them yourself."

Ruby crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I refuse to answer that question."

"Weiss?"

A muffled groan could be heard from the closet before the heiress stepped into the room.

"Can't you see that I'm busy? Solve whatever ridiculous spat you're having without dragging me into it. And you," Weiss pointed at Ruby, "just tell her and get back to work. Your bag won't unpack itself."

"She's just being unreasonable because she's afraid of bunk beds. It's why I never got one as a kid."

"No," Yang said. "The reason you never got a bunk bed as a kid was that I had already moved into my own room by the time you wanted one, and that we had three perfectly good beds to ourselves between our two rooms. Also, you almost killed me with one."

"I didn't! You weren't even in it at the time."

Weiss sighed. "Just get it over with."

"What?" Yang asked.

"Oh please. As if you weren't going to tell us another pointless little-Yang-and-Ruby story. I'm just saving us all some time by cutting out your attempt at making us ask for it."

"You know, as much as I'd love to argue with you about that, right now, I'm more concerned with not getting crushed in my sleep."

Yang crossed the room and knocked on one of the wooden bed posts. "Solid. Not made out of books."

Books? Blake pulled out one of the desk chairs and watched as her partner inspected the ceiling above the beds.

"No ropes holding it all up."

"I can't believe you're still holding on to that," Ruby said. "It's been years, and you would have been fine."

Yang walked up and down the side of the bed, poking and prodding. "I don't see any glue or duct tape either."

"Enough of this nonsense!" Weiss said. "What are you going on about?"

Yang turned around with a wide smile on her face. "Oh Weiss, I knew you cared! You're just too shy to admit it."

"What are you—"

"Made you ask, didn't I?"

Weiss threw up her arms with a groan and stomped back into the closet, while Blake only shook her head. She had expected more of Yang's antics the moment she had started acting like the beds were about to explode.

"So, you're not afraid of bunk beds?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, please. It takes more than one accidental death trap to give me nightmares. Can't say that I won't sleep better knowing that you had nothing to do with them though"

"Wait, the bed thing is real?" Blake asked.

"For the record, I don't care," came a muffled voice from the closet.

"Yeah, well, as I said, this one here," Yang ruffled Ruby's hair despite her protest, "wanted to sleep in a bunk bed, but Dad didn't see the point. So she built one herself without telling anyone. She stacked our old beds over each other with stacks of books as posts and tied it all to the ceiling with a bunch of ropes. It was a crooked, wobbly mess."

"It was perfectly stable, I slept in it for days," Ruby said.

"True, which is why I let you talk me into sleeping over for a night. After all, what good is a bunk bed if you don't have anyone to bunk with, right? I was just getting ready for bed when I heard a loud crash, and instead of a bunk bed, I found a pile of books, ropes, mattresses, and rubble with Ruby snoring away in the middle of it all as if nothing had happened. Talk about rude awakening."

"You would have been fine. You've survived far worse than being squashed by a soft mattress."

"Doesn't mean that I like having beds dropped on me in my sleep. Dad didn't like it either. That day, his refusal to buy Ruby a bunk bed had turned into a ban on bunk beds under his roof."

"He overreacted. My blueprints for Bunky 2.0 were far more sophisticated. I used bigger books, stronger pegs, and doubled the number of ropes. I even figured out where the load-bearing beams in the ceiling were located and added drapes to turn my bed into a sky fortress! But I never got to build it."

"That being said," Yang hoisted herself up onto one of the beds, "I claim top bunk!"

Blake got up and slipped into the lower one. "I guess I'll go with the bottom then."

Hardly a choice. Ruby had claimed the other top bunk and the one below was neatly made and wrapped in Schnee-branded sheets. Not that Blake was about to complain. She would have preferred one of the lower bunks anyway. The low ceiling and the framework of worn but sturdy wood made it feel cramped yet cozy. It was slightly claustrophobic but in a good way.

"Let's see," Weiss said, emerging from the closet. "We have one sister who likes to sneak out at night to get herself arrested and another who turns toys and furniture into death traps. Best team ever."

Yang shifted on the bed and leaned over the edge. Her arm was dangling in front of Blake, her comforting yet dangerous hand teasing her with every swing.

"How long are you going to pretend that you hate just about everything here?" Yang asked. "It's done. Now get over yourself and try to make the best out of it."

"Why am I the one who has to make an effort? Ruby spilled most of her bag on the floor before worshiping her bunk bed for half an hour, and you two went out to play only to come back, drop everything, and climb into bed. I'm the only one doing any work. I'm the only one taking any of this seriously. So how about you get over yourself and make an effort for a change?"

Before Blake's guilty conscious could make her get out of bed and get to work—Weiss wasn't entirely wrong—Yang jumped down. "You're right!"

"She is?" Ruby asked.

"I am?" Weiss asked.

"Yes! There's a party waiting for us in town, so what are we wasting our time here for? Grab your jackets and let's head out!"

"That's not what I—"

"There's really a party?" Ruby asked, ignoring Weiss.

"Well, there's cake and stuff. That's almost a party," Yang said, opening the door.

Blake sat up and looked at her suitcase. She should unpack, but Ruby was already halfway out the door, and she had promised to try and have some fun for her sake.

"You can't be serious. Today is not a free day to play around. We have to move in, get our uniforms, sort out some paperwork, and look over the introductory material they handed out for classes tomorrow."

"Oh come on, Weiss. There's not going to be any tests on the first day, and I promise we'll be back in time to get our uniforms and stuff. Besides, you don't have to unpack everything right away, you know? Just get your toothbrush and your jammies out and you'll be set. There's a whole weekend just waiting for you to sort through your shoe collection."

"Not everyone takes their education as lightly as you."

Yang sighed. "Seriously, Weiss? We're trying to celebrate becoming a team. That includes you. Can't you just stop fussing for an hour or two and try to have some fun with us?"

"I—"

"Look at it as team building," Blake said. "We can't change who we ended up with, and in the long run, we'll be better off if we get along. Taking a moment to enjoy ourselves and to get to know each other won't kill us. Besides," Blake nodded towards Yang and Ruby, one holding open the door, the other waiting impatiently in the hallway, "look at our partners. Do you really think we could stop them at this point?"

"I suppose not," Weiss said with a sigh. "But only for an hour or two!"

In a red blur and a shower of rose petals, Ruby appeared in front of Weiss and pulled her into a tight hug. "You're the best!"

Weiss went stiff in surprise, but before she could complain or push her partner away, Ruby had zoomed back out into the hallway once again waiting impatiently for her team to follow.

Seeing Weiss's shocked expression, Blake couldn't help but smirk. Living with a Schnee might actually be fun.

* * *

"You have got to be joking," Weiss said. "All that talk about celebrating in style and how you know exactly the place, and this is it? Some rundown backstreet coffee shop?"

Yang laughed. "You're going to eat those words before the day is over, princess."

Blake studied their destination with curiosity. Judging from what she had known about her partner, she would have expected to end up in some fancy coffee shop filled with girls swooning over multilayered cakes or a greasy steak house.

If she was honest, the first thing that had come to mind was a club inexplicably open in the middle of the afternoon to serve overpriced cocktails to minors while loud music drowned out any chance of having a conversation, but she had dismissed the idea. While Blake could see Yang enjoying that sort of thing, she couldn't imagine her dragging her little sister along to do so.

What she had not expected was a trip through the back streets of the shopping district bordering the airship terminal in order to find something that looked like it should be encountered on a stormy night huddled up in a trench coat while on the hunt for a strong drink.

The corner shop was clad in dark-brown wood broken up by large clusters of square window panes made from dark-blue stained glass with silver sprinkles mixed in. The moment they turned around the corner, Blake understood the meaning of the curious design. Over the entrance hung a fading wooden sign with the name of the shop—Café Midnight—painted in elegant lettering over a dark sky filled with stars.

Yang stopped in front of the entrance. "After you," she said, pointing at the slim door that was set into the building by a good five or six feet.

Ruby looked at it skeptically. "Are you sure this is—"

Weiss groaned and pushed past her partner towards the door. "Let's just get this over with."

Ruby followed with an apprehensive look in her eyes, while Blake mustered her partner who was standing next to the entrance beckoning her to go in with a goofy smile. Whatever it was that made Yang chose this place, Blake was intrigued.

Weiss had barely opened the door when a bell announced their arrival. Inside, the color scheme continued. Worn dark tables and leather benches lined the wood-clad walls, while the back was covered in shelves filled with white porcelain and an assortment of multicolored bottles. A dark counter spanned the entirety of the room, leaving a gap to slip through on one end while merging with a massive contraption of brass tubes, dials, and knobs on the other.

Behind the counter stood a dark-haired man in his thirties, wearing a midnight-blue vest, white shirt, and matching bow tie. He was engrossed in polishing a mug, ignoring his new customers completely. So was the woman in a matching but more frilly waitress uniform sitting on a bar stool at the far end of the counter.

"Excuse me!" Weiss demanded attention only moments after she had stepped through the door.

"Hold your horses, I'll be right with you," the waitress said without lifting her head from the magazine lying on the countertop in front of her.

Blake noticed an annoyed twitch in Weiss's eye with amusement.

"Still working hard for your tips, I see."

Weiss snapped her mouth shut. Yang had cut in just in time to stop her from, presumably, giving a lesson on proper customer service. She settled for a barely audible huff as the waitress's attention was immediately drawn to Yang, whereas she had been brushed off without so much as a look.

They were greeted by what Blake could only describe as a lascivious smile on full red lips. The strong makeup around her eyes and the wavy, almost sculptured, blond hair completed the picture not just of the waitress but of the coffee shop as a whole. It could have sprung right out of the pages of some gritty noir detective story.

The waitress jumped off her stool and came towards them. "Yang, dear, it has been too long!"

"Yeah, something came up last weekend."

"Oh," she clapped her hands together in front of her, "and you must be Ruby!"

"Uh, hi?" Ruby said, looking like she was ready to bolt at a moments notice.

"My, aren't you precious! And the cape is real. I was sure your big sister was trying to pull my leg. Come on, turn around and let me have a good look."

The waitress was just about to take Ruby's shoulders and twirl her around when the man behind the counter cleared his throat. She laughed. "Right, there will be plenty of time for that later. Come on, have a seat."

She led them to one of the booths. Ruby slipped in without hesitation, while Weiss stopped next to the bench, eyeing it with disdain. "This place has been cleaned sometime during the last decade, I presume."

The waitress scoffed playfully. "It might look old, decrepit, abandoned, and like it could fall apart at any moment, but, I'll have you know, it is cleaned regularly. I think. You'd have to ask the old grump about that," she added with a shrug. "Anyway, I'll be right back with your menus."

Weiss watched her walk towards the door in the back with a frown and sat down so far forward on the bench that it looked like she was about to slip off at any moment. Yang, meanwhile, remained standing next to the other bench offering the inner seat to Blake who took it with a small nod.

"I cannot believe that you dragged us to this dump," Weiss said.

"Just remember all your little jabs for the moment you'll fall from your high horse. It's coming."

Weiss scoffed and returned to inspecting the shop.

"So?" Yang asked as she nudged Blake with her elbow, who took a moment to take it all in in full.

The only other customer, an old man in a tan suit, sporting greasy slick-back hair and a gelled mustache, sat in a booth on the other side of the shop. His matching fedora kept a lone mug company on the table while he was reading a newspaper. The shop wasn't just lacking in customers but in decoration as well. Aside from the elaborate windows and the wear and tear of the furniture, which had to have been decades old, the only thing to be found was a lone blackboard advertising a small number of very basic pasta dishes. The writing on it was almost as faded as the sign hanging over the entrance. Clearly, lunch and dinner were not priorities of the establishment. Coffee, however, had to have been if the metal monstrosity in the corner was anything to go by. The jumble of pipes, levers, and dials stood taller than the bartender.

Blake loved it.

"It got atmosphere."

Yang smiled knowingly at her partner's efforts to hide her enthusiasm.

"Do you come here often?" Ruby asked her sister. "You never mentioned the place before."

"Found it a couple of weeks ago by accident. It's quite far from home, so I only dropped by when I was in the area."

"Which will change now that you're attending Beacon," the waitress said as she returned from the back room with a pile of menus.

"You just want to pocket more tips."

"I'm a waitress! It's my life's ambition to squeeze as many tips out of my customers as possible."

Blake's eyes darted between them as they laughed. Both were frank, attractive, and smiled more often than not. They also seemed to get along very well. She could feel a knot forming in her stomach with every laugh they shared.

"Now then, welcome to Café Midnight! My name is Anne, and I'll be your waitress today." She handed each of them two leather-bound menus. "Take your time and just holler when you've made up your mind, okay?"

With that, she returned to her bar stool and the magazine that was waiting for her at the counter.

 _Beverages_ and _Desserts_. No lunch or dinner menus, not that Blake had expected any after spotting that faded blackboard.

She studied the drinks menu first. It listed page after page of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Just about every variation and combination under the sun as well as a decent selection of cocktails and a small footnote of soft drinks, beers, and wine could be found. Faced with an overwhelming number of choices, Blake decided to try her luck with an old favorite.

With her decision made, she was about to move on the dessert menu when she noticed Yang sitting there just watching the table. She raised an eyebrow at her partner who leaned back, nonchalantly putting an arm over the back of the bench.

"Take your time. I already know what I'll have," she said.

It made sense since she was a regular, but Yang seemed to be a bit too interested in her companions for someone who was just waiting.

Blake put the thought out of her mind and returned to the menu. Cakes, pies, and all sorts of fried and baked pastries; it read more like an encyclopedia of baked goods than the menu of a small corner shop.

"I don't even know where to start," Ruby said. "I thought I had eaten just about everything sweet and sugary in existence, but there are things on the menu I have never even heard of before."

"It all comes from the freezer," Weiss said. "A small shop like this could never keep that large a selection of fresh stock even if had any customers."

Blake didn't miss the mischievous smirk that grazed Yang's lips, but it was not the time to try and piece together what her partner was up to. Ruby had a point. The dessert menu was unwieldy. Sifting through all of it would take ages and would be a waste of time to begin with. If Café Midnight was any good, chances were they would be back. If not, she wouldn't miss out on anything. With that in mind, Blake mimicked her earlier choice and settled for an old favorite.

She closed her menu and put it down only to find Yang studying Ruby, who was frowning at hers.

"You really have no idea what you want?" Yang asked her little sister before she snatched the menu from her hands. "Let me see that."

"What are you doing? You have your own!"

Ruby's complaints fell on deaf ears as Yang was busy flipping through the menu as if she was looking for something. "Oh, Anne?" she asked in a sickeningly-sweet voice as she reached the end. "Haven't you forgotten something?"

Anne turned around on her bar stool. "Whatever do you mean, dear?"

"I seem to recall something about a page of specials that's curiously absent."

"It is? Oh, my!" Anne said in fake surprise. "Let me just go get that for you."

Yang handed the menu back to Ruby who picked up where she had left off with a small shrug.

Blake leaned in close to her partner but kept her eyes on Anne as she left through the back door. "What are you up to?"

"Just wait and see."

Yang had closed the distance between them further, which had almost made Blake miss her response as the sudden sensation of a few strands of unruly golden locks tickling her cheek had made it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the sensation had disappeared again. Yang had leaned back on the bench, watching Ruby with a gentle smile. Her arm was still draped over the backrest, and Blake couldn't help but be acutely aware of how close to her shoulders it was.

A couple of awkward seconds later, Anne returned from the back with some printouts and put them down on the table. "How about something to drink while you figure out what you want to eat?"

Weiss was the first to speak up, ordering a milk tea. Yang followed up with a double mocha with vanilla, caramel, and extra cream, which sounded just like the kind of gaudy drink Blake had expected her partner to favor. Yang's disappointed look at Blake's order didn't come as a surprise either, but she wasn't deterred. The mild taste and relaxing aroma of a good cup of chamomile tea were just what she needed after the stress of the last couple of days.

It was Ruby's turn, but the younger girl seemed embarrassed to speak up. "Cocoa", she mumbled.

"What's that, dear?"

Ruby took a deep breath. "Hot cocoa."

Anne laughed, turning Ruby's face a deep crimson. "My, you are precious. One hot cocoa coming up!"

Moments after she had left, the brass monstrosity in the corner of the room sprung to life in loud hissing and grinding noises.

"Maybe I should have ordered something with coffee too," Ruby mumbled.

"You would only complain that it's too bitter," Yang said. "Besides, their cocoa is fantastic."

"You've had it too?"

"Yep. Now, don't you still have to find a snack?"

"Right." Ruby returned to the menu and picked up one of the pages Anne had left. She had barely glanced at it before her face split in half in a wide smile.

Blake picked up one of the sheets, wondering what it was that Yang had been orchestrating from behind the scenes. Looking over the specials, it wasn't immediately obvious to her. They seemed to fit in with the menu, but she had the niggling feeling that there was something off about them.

Pomegranate and cranberry cheesecake. That sounded familiar, and a quick search through the regular menu confirmed her suspicion. It was right there, same price and all. After checking some more of the specials, Blake had yet to find a single one that was actually a special, but before she could dig any deeper, Anne returned with a full tray. All of their drinks came in identical white mugs, only Yang's was more like a bowl than a cup in size.

"I've added a little extra for free," Ann said with a wink as she handed Ruby hers. A bunch of tiny marshmallows were sticking out of the milky foam on top.

"Thanks," Ruby said bashfully.

"Ready to order?"

They all nodded. Yang started off the round by ordering two bear claws. Weiss followed with a simple apple crumble—much to Blake's surprise—while Blake ordered a strawberry shortcake, which earned Yang's stamp of approval. Apparently, one cannot go wrong with strawberries and cream.

It was Ruby's turn. She sat up straight and slammed the specials menu on the table. "Cookie sampler deluxe!"

Anne's expression darkened. "Are you sure, dear? It's meant for two."

"You could just leave half the cookies behind and it would be for one," Weiss said.

"No need!"

Anne frowned. "Do you really want want boring old cookies? How about some brownies instead? We have some scrumptious walnut double-chocolate today."

"Anne," Yang said, lowering her voice, "isn't it bad form for a waitress to choose the order for her customers unless she's asked for a recommendation."

"Not at all." Anne mirrored Yang's tone. "It's a waitress's duty to advise her customers in order to provide them with the best possible experience."

"Ruby?" Yang asked.

"Cookie sampler deluxe?"

"There you have it. Now take her order and stop trying to weasel out of our bet, you cheat."

Anne scoffed. "Fine. That's one free drink for you and your sister."

"One free drink for everyone at the table or double tips."

"There was no mention of you bringing friends along, just your sister." Anne sighed. "Tell you what, you're lucky that I even believe you that you didn't tell her what to choose upfront, so how about I give you a free drink for everyone, and you bump up my tips a bit in return."

Yang laughed. "No qualms shortchanging the old man as long as you get your cut, eh?"

"My life's ambition, remember?" Anne said with a wink.

"Fine, you got a deal."

Satisfied with the results, Anne left through the door behind the counter.

"Haggling over tips in a coffee shop," Weiss said in disbelieve. "Have you no shame?"

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud. We were just having a bit of fun, and you got a free drink out of it. Everybody wins, well, aside from the old man."

"What was all that about?" Ruby asked still looking very confused.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck. "Remember the plans we had last weekend before I, you know, had to cancel at the last minute?"

Ruby's expression fell, and she nodded.

"Well, I wanted to bring you here. When I told Anne about it, we ended up betting that I could put something on that huge-ass menu that you would pick without fail."

"You put cookies on the specials menu for me?"

"Not exactly," Blake said before Yang could answer. "The entire specials menu was nothing but a ruse to hide the cookie platter."

"It was?"

"Everything else was a copy from the regular menu, probably taken from sections you were likely to skip over."

Blake barely managed to finish her explanation before she was yanked into a tight, one-armed hug.

"Isn't she amazing? Man, I got lucky picking a partner!"

Whatever reactions Ruby and Weiss had in stock were lost on Blake who was experiencing a torrent of contradicting emotions. She had never been fond of being touched, especially without her explicit permission. If it had been anyone else, she would have put up a fight, and she wouldn't have been gentle about it. But this wasn't anybody else, and she was overwhelmed by the experience of being caught between Yang's firm and powerful arm and her surprisingly soft and warm torso. All Blake could manage was to keep up her poker face and hope that she was just imagining the heat rushing to her cheeks.

Luckily—or maybe not—Yang's embrace didn't last long.

"Now," she said, "try your drinks before they get cold."

Blake welcomed the distraction and picked up her tea. It was still too hot to drink, but she took a deep breath and enjoyed the aroma, which helped her regain her composure.

A loud slurp drew her attention back to the table. Ruby was sitting in her corner, holding her mug with both hands while grinning from ear to ear. "This is, like, the best cocoa I've ever had!"

"I know, right," Yang said before she took a big gulp of her coffee without paying much attention to the hot steam coming from it.

Weiss, meanwhile, had been unusually quiet, and Blake was not the only one who seemed to have noticed her not too subtle attempt at avoiding eye contact with her companions.

"No snippy remarks, princess?" Yang asked.

"I wish you would stop calling me that."

"Says the girl calling me a brute every chance she gets."

"If you must know, it is very good. A far cry from the instant tea and powdered milk I had expected from an establishment like this."

"Yeah, the old grump might get an F for his social skills, but he's the real deal working that oversized water boiler."

"Best coffee in all of Vale!" Anne said as she pushed the door to the back open with her hips. "Heck, all of Remnant!" She made her way to the table and started putting down plates. "And you'll find that our cakes live up to the challenge. Enjoy!" she said and went back to her bar stool.

"Oh!" Ruby's eyes went wide in wonder at the mountain of assorted cookies on her plate. They came in regular and chocolate dough with a wide variety of mix-ins. Nuts, marshmallows, dried fruit, caramel chunks, chocolate chips; just about everything Blake had ever seen on a cookie was represented.

Ruby grabbed one and bit off a big chunk. "Oh, my god! These are awesome!"

Blake peeked at Yang who was watching her little sister munch away with a gentle smile. She might question the wisdom of feeding Ruby an unhealthy amount of cookies, but she had to admit that it was difficult to resist that gleeful face covered in crumbs.

She tore herself away from Ruby and picked up her fork. On the plain, white plate in front of her sat a perfectly cut rectangle, showing off layers of sponge, strawberries, and cream topped with a whole strawberry on a dollop of cream. The taste, lived up to the presentation. The sponge was moist yet fluffy, the cream dense and sweet, and the strawberries perfectly ripe. She had to agree with Ruby. The cake was fantastic, and if the expression on Weiss's face was anything to go by, the homemade looking piece of apple crumble could hold its own.

"Aren't you all forgetting something?" Yang asked.

Ruby looked at Yang with her mouth full and a cookie in each hand. "What's that?" she managed to ask with a small loss of cookie crumbs that caused Weiss to stare at her as if she had grown a second head.

"We came to celebrate, didn't we? Now that we've got our drinks and snacks, shouldn't we toast before the feast begins?"

"What did you have in mind?" Blake asked.

Yang hummed and looked at Weiss. "Want to take over?"

"No," she said still distracted by Ruby before she shifted a couple of inches away from her partner and focused on Yang. Her eyes, though, continued to dart sideways as if she was expecting to get attacked at any moment. "You might remember that I wanted to partner up with Pyrrha and would have objected to teaming up with you if I had been given the chance."

"Fair enough. How about this then?" Yang held up her mug. "To team RWBY!"

Everybody looked at her.

"That's it?" Weiss asked.

"What? It's simple. It's to the point. It's a classic."

Blake smiled and raised her mug. "To team RWBY."

Ruby followed suit.

Now everyone was looking at Weiss, who reluctantly raised her mug to join the others. "Don't make me say it."

"You're going to come to love us eventually," Yang said, earning her an eye-roll.

"So," Anne put down a mug as large as Yang's and pulled up a chair from one of the round tables in the center of the room, "what's that I hear about celebrations and teams?"

Weiss had jumped an inch or two back in Ruby's direction. Between dealing with Yang and guarding herself against a looming attack of partially chewed cookie crumbs, Anne had slipped past her defenses. Blake couldn't tell if the narrowed eyes with which Weiss was pinning her were a look of disdain about the lack of proper etiquette or anger about having been caught off guard, but she clearly wasn't happy.

"It's only, like, the most important event of our lives," Yang said. "We've gotten our team assignments today. The four of us ended up together as team RWBY. That is the little cookie monster—"

"Is it wrong that I just want to take her home and cuddle her to death?" Anne asked.

Ruby perked up from her cookies and looked at her wide-eyed, while Yang just laughed.

"I know the feeling, but I'm the only one who gets to cuddle her until she's older."

"Yang! I'm not a little kid anymore."

Yang's eyes were darting between Ruby's hands, each holding a cookie with a large bite missing.

"Not that little," Ruby said, sinking back into her seat.

"There's Ruby's partner, some crabby rich girl."

"Hey!"

Blake let out a quiet sigh of relieve. Compared to Weiss shooting daggers at a waitress—who, to her credit, had shown no sign of discomfort—having her scowl in irritation at Yang felt almost normal.

"Oh fine." Yang pointed at Weiss. "Weiss. Smart, talented, and absolutely clueless when it comes to dealing with people who aren't her slaves."

"That's hardly any better," Weiss said, but instead of pushing back, she picked up her mug, giving it her full attention.

Yang shrugged and shifted towards Blake. "And last, but no least, Blake, the world's best partner!"

It was a stupid and completely unreasonable claim, but it made that warm feeling in Blake's chest flare up like crazy.

"Love the outfit," Anne said, "the bow says, 'I'm a girl,' while the jacket says, 'but don't you dare mess with me!' If I was, like, ten years younger, I would totally steal that look from you."

"Actually, the jacket is just borrowed from Yang," Blake said.

"But you shouldn't mess with her anyway," Yang said, keeping her eyes on Anne as she leaned in closer.

Whether the gesture was protective, possessive, or both; it only made it more difficult for Blake to regain control over her emotions.

Anne shook her head. "I'm mostly surprised that you own clothes that are made from more fabric than a handkerchief."

"What can I say, I have the occasional bout of good taste."

They laughed, and even Weiss couldn't help a smile.

"So, team Ruby? Are you, like, their mascot or something?" Anne asked Ruby.

"What? No! Beacon has this thing about spelling out team names with the initials of their members. It's R-W-B-Y, not R-U-B-Y. And I, sort of, have been chosen as team leader for some reason…"

Blake didn't miss the dark look on Weiss's face. She might have snapped out of her near-catatonic state, but the issue was far from resolved.

"Oh, little sis got promoted over you? That must sting."

"Nah," Yang waved her off without hesitation, "Ruby's the smart one, and she got that whole natural leadership charisma thing going. I just punch things until they break. It's better that way for everyone."

"You really don't mind?" Ruby asked.

"Are you kidding? You were awesome out there yesterday. It took you like half a minute to get everyone to follow your lead, and you came up with the plan that saved the day while that giant chicken was trying to figure out if it would rather eat us or bury us." Yang leaned back again. "I might not get your attachment to the headmaster, but he hit the nail on the head with this one."

Ruby perked up and nodded. "Thanks."

"You two are so cute together! Almost makes me wish I had a little brat of my own." Anne homed in on Weiss. "Come to think of it, you're loaded, aren't you?"

Weiss frowned.

"Any older brothers around? Or maybe an opening as a stepmother?"

"No."

"Well, you're a bit young and I'm not into girls, but depending on how loaded you are, that might not be an issue," Anne said with a wink.

"Excuse me?" Weiss stammered in shock.

"Aren't you married?" Yang asked, making Anne sink back into her chair, holding on to her mug with both hands.

"And look at what good that did me. I was supposed to be a rich trophy wife, lazing my days away at the pool, drinking cocktails and getting massages from the hunk I had my husband hire as a pool boy. Maybe do a charity thing or two to make myself feel like I'm contributing to society." She took a sip from her mug. "It's been eleven years since I graduated from school, and I'm still stuck in this dump because the hubby's salary barely even covers our living expenses."

"I don't think you should talk like that in front of," Ruby's eyes darted towards the man behind the counter, "you know who."

"Him?" Anne laughed. "That guy is married to that metal contraption and his beans. He wouldn't notice a beautiful woman making eyes at him unless she was covered head to toe in coffee grounds."

"He's not your husband?" Ruby asked.

"More like a childhood friend." She frowned. "Actually, he was weird even as kid. He's just some guy from the old neighborhood who happened to have a job opening at the right time."

Anne took another sip from her mug. "You're a bunch of blossoming young women, aren't you? Let me give you some advice: Don't marry for love, marry for money. At least the first time around. Get yourself a fat bundle out of the divorce, then look for the right guy. Life's gotta be a lot easier that way."

"Like you're working yourself to the bone here, sitting on your ass all day," Yang said.

"I'll have you know, the weekends are a lot more stressful. Sometimes we have, like, three tables seated at once!" Anne got up. "But you came here to celebrate, not to listen to an old woman whine. Don't hold back. The old coot over there is as good as deaf, and if you want anything with a little bit more of a zing, let me know," she said with a wink before she returned to her bar stool.

"What did she mean by that?" Ruby asked.

"She makes a mean Strawberry Sunrise."

"Yang!"

"I know, I know. No drinking on school days. Gotta be a role model for the little ones."

"You shouldn't drink at all. Dad doesn't like it when you do."

"He's just overprotective. Besides, a glass now and then doesn't hurt, does it, princess?"

"You can hardly compare a fine glass of wine with dinner to whatever sugary contraptions you like to gulp down at some seedy nightclub."

Yang laughed. "Fair enough."

Their celebration continued, and Blake surprised herself by making good on her promise to Yang. Not even the shadow cast over her by a pair of overly-inquisitive eyes managed to ruin an enjoyable afternoon out in town with her new teammates.

* * *

Yang was leading her team back to Beacon via small, almost deserted alleyways running alongside the busy shopping district. Blake couldn't help but wonder if her partner did so on purpose for her benefit or if she had started to read too much into her actions. While she appreciated the thought, the big sister in Yang might be going overboard trying to protect her. But that was a conversation for another day.

"So," Yang said smugly, "did I do good or did I do good?"

"You did well," Weiss said through gritted teeth.

"We're going to come back here, aren't we?" Ruby held on to a doggy bag containing a second cookie sampler deluxe she had ordered before they had left. "I want to try the entire menu!"

"Don't see why not. It's only an airship ride away."

"I just don't understand how that shop manages to stay in business," Weiss said. "Their selection is too large, and their prices are too low. How did they stay open for more than a decade with barely any customers? How could they offer that level of quality and value for so long without word of mouth filling up the place?

"It's not the location. It's close enough to the main street to be found, but sheltered enough to put up tables outside that wouldn't make one feel like a public exhibit. With some competent staff, an interior decorator—well, an entire construction crew—and a bit of marketing that dirty old shack could thrive."

Yang hummed. "Sounds like someone might be more interested in running a coffee shop than becoming a huntress."

"Hardly, but I can't deny that I'm intrigued from an academic point of view. As a business, it just doesn't make any sense."

"You obviously didn't pay attention."

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't you see the building next door?"

"The boarded-up shop?" Blake asked.

"The very same."

"So what?" Weiss asked.

"Used to be a bakery. A really fancy one. The sort of thing you would shop at," Yang said, nodding at Weiss who glared back.

"What happened?" Ruby asked, eyes wide in anticipation.

"For a while? Nothing. The bakery was a great success. People flocked to it from far and wide. But one day, without warning, tragedy struck. The owner died at the height of her career."

"How?"

"Nobody knows. There were rumors of a jealous competitor and poison but nothing was ever proven. The shop became abandoned and was never sold on."

Ruby frowned.

"Oh, but the story isn't finished yet, little sis. They tried to sell it, but strange things started to happen whenever somebody used its kitchen. Sugar turned into salt. Milk turned sour by the time it had been poured into a glass. Fridges turned hot and ovens cold. In one particularly gruesome event, fresh eggs, when cracked open, contained dead, rotting chicks."

"Ew!"

"Eventually, people just gave up, nailed it shut, and forgot about it. But if you listen closely in the middle of the night, you can still hear cream being whisked from the inside. They say that the owner's ghost comes back every night endlessly preparing her finest creations."

Blake looked over her shoulder, a cold shiver running down her spine.

"So what? The waitress steals the ghost's stocks during the day to sell them off at a profit?" Weiss asked.

"Come on Weiss, I was almost done. But you are right, of course. During the day, while the ghost is asleep, it is safe to sneak into to bakery. Café Midnight sells whatever they can, only for it to be replaced overnight."

Ruby mustered her doggie bag. "Ghost cookies? Does that mean I can eat as many of them as I want without getting cavities?"

"Of course not!" Weiss said. "There is no such thing as ghosts or ghost cookies. Where did you even hear that dribble?"

Yang pulled out a blue piece of paper. "It's all in there."

Anne had asked them to hand out some flyers at Beacon in hopes of drumming up some more tips, as she had put it. Yang and Ruby had picked up a pile each, while Weiss had refused outright. So had Blake in a more diplomatic manner. Her lingering attachment to the idea of trying to keep a low profile didn't mix well with canvassing the campus for a coffee shop, or so she had told herself. Truthfully, she didn't want to ruin the shop's atmosphere by filling it up with noisy teenagers. She might have to dispose of the flyers the sister's had taken before they could hand them out.

"That insufferable waitress made up that story to draw in customers. Obviously, whoever owns the bakery only closed the storefront but kept the business going," Weiss said.

Obviously. Blake sighed in relieve. After all, ghosts did not exist.

"Way to ruin a good story, princess."

"It was childish nonsense."

Yang sighed. "You have no sense of whimsy…"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

A quick word or two about the chapter itself before we delve into two issues that have been on my mind for a while now and may significantly change the direction this story is taking. So, once again, please disregard my standing advice to skip my ramblings and humor me. Thank you.

I tried writing the show's strangely positioned moving in scene, but it didn't work. It is heavy on visual comedy that doesn't translate well into the written word—at least not at my skill level. Since the DIY beds are never followed up on, the change shouldn't cause any problems. They are, however, among the more iconic things about the show, and their removal might rub some people the wrong way. On the plus side, we have a sensible default layout for Beacon's dorm rooms now.

And then there was Café Midnight. I have to admit, I do love that place more than I should. It wasn't designed for the main story but rather the spin-off that is waiting to be edited and released once we've progressed far enough, but it seemed like a good fit here. The question was, where would Yang take the team to score points with both Ruby and Blake (and Weiss, a tiny little bit)? A combination of world-class sweets and faux-noir sounded about right. Not sure how much of it we'll see in the main story though. Let me know if you want me to make it a more regular location or not.

Now on to the serious stuff…

Blake's Canon Background and the White Fang

As much as I bitch about _Volume Three_ , the bombshell that episode 4x05 dropped on me may well be worse since I can't just postpone dealing with it until I reach the volume in question.

Consider yourself lucky, by the way. I did you a favor and removed a lengthy rant on how unbelievably terrible and cliche the Sun/Blake rom-com setup, the villains, the plot, and just about everything else was. It was nice to see another part of the world though.

What's relevant for this story and what really bugs me is Blake's canon background. That episode threw me a ginormous monkey wrench that could well ruin most of what I had planned for Blake from motivations for her actions to my additions to her backstory. While I like the parallels it adds in regards to Weiss, it just feels off. The way Blake had behaved in the show prior to that episode and what we knew about her background (which, admittedly, was very little) just doesn't mesh together with the fact that there is a home waiting for her. Sure, it is located on a reservation, but it is a very loving home with political influence and money to boot. Maybe if Blake had been estranged, if there had been a serious rift between her and her parents, but the loving welcome she got clearly says differently. It just doesn't add up and feels tacked on.

As for the White Fang, I was skeptical about them hailing from Menagerie (a grass-roots counter movement against the oppression in Atlas that spread over the world would have made more sense, in my opinion), but I can work with that. Turning them into some sort of weird and creepy cult rather than a sociopolitical movement lead astray just makes me cringe though. It cheapens the racism angle of the show even more than the forced token romance between Sun and Blake and makes the White Fang as a whole so much less interesting and relatable. It used to be about misguided but ordinary people pushed over the edge by a flawed society just because they were born different. Now they are just a bunch of cultists, and who gives a shit about that?

We might have reached the point where I have to consider diverting from canon in a significant way. I don't know. I'll try to keep things vague for as long as possible, and I might find a way to make it all work out, but it's not going to be easy given the amount of time we spend looking over Blake's shoulder.

Faunus and Animal Traits

I am somewhat unclear on how the faunus work.

The faunus _World of Remnant_ episode states that each faunus has a single animal trait. It goes on to list ears, tails, and whatnot, but it also contradicts itself on several occasions (showing a silhouette with horns and fangs, for example). There is also Oobleck's history lesson to consider that makes low-light vision out to be a very common trait, but every faunus we have seen had an obvious physical trait like ears or a tail, so how exactly is night vision common? It's a physical difference in the eyes, but just because it isn't as obvious as, say, horns, it doesn't mean that it shouldn't count if there is a limit. And then there is Blake who displays several cat-like traits. Most of them are behavioral, admittedly, but there are at least her ears and eyes on the physical side.

Now, there is one obvious and perfectly sensible explanation: The single animal trait the _World of Remnant_ episode is talking about is a (poorly worded) limitation to an arbitrary number of traits as long as they adhere to a single animal species. It does however not explain why I have yet to spot a single faunus in the actual show with ears and a tail, or, say, antlers and ears.

Why am I trying to pick this apart? Well, for starters, there is Sandy (who comes with ears, tail, and tiny fangs) as well as every faunus character I might ever create that I have to worry about. More annoyingly, there is an important (pivotal even) node on my outline that is dependent on this issue. One I do not want to rewrite or replace unless I absolutely have to.

If there is an official explanation or a sound theory that comprehensively and without contradictions defines the mechanics of the faunus' "furry" traits, please let me know.

Failing that, and until further notice, I will labor on under the assumption that it is an arbitrary choice on the production team's side that is by no means indicative of the mechanics of the faunus and will follow the single-species theory accordingly.

That is all.


	15. Insomnia

**Insomnia**

Blake wasn't sure how much time had passed since Weiss had blown a fuse and ushered them all to bed, but sleep was intent on staying a stranger that night.

After getting their uniforms and unpacking their bags, Ruby and Yang had somehow gotten their hands on the tools and fabric needed to install the curtains that seemed to make all the difference between an ordinary top bunk and a sky fortress. Once installed, it hadn't taken long for Ruby to notice the flaw in nailing an opaque barrier to the ceiling surrounding her bunk: without light, she could no longer read in bed.

What had followed was a brainstorming session between the sisters on how to mitigate the problem. It had started out innocently enough with the familiar suggestion of a clip-on book light but had quickly escalated to the point where Yang had suggested "borrowing" one of the wall fixtures from the hallway—there were enough of them around to keep it lit even if one went missing, or so she had claimed—and where Ruby had stormed out the door to get a power drill to install it—the super's office hours had long been over, but he lived on campus, and there was no harm in checking if he was home, or so she had claimed.

It had been at that point that Weiss had put her foot down, ordered them to stop their lunacy, and sent them off to bed like a pair of rowdy little children. Yang hadn't been inclined to listen, but Ruby had relented to Weiss's lecture on how a good leader wouldn't let their team embarrass them on the first day of school by staying up all night stealing school property. Finally, with her partner in crime gone, Yang had settled down without putting up much of a fight.

Minutes later, the room had gone dark and the only sound that could be heard was gentle, even breathing.

Blake peeked through the crack in the curtains of the large window next to her bed. Remnant's broken moon had wandered a good deal since they had turned in. Midnight must have come and gone, and for the third day in a row, she had trouble falling asleep.

Her mind kept running in circles, trying to figure out what Sandy might be after, what she might have found out already, and, most importantly, what to do about her. The only feasible options Blake had been able to come up with were the dangerous gamble of a wait-and-see approach or using whatever information Yang was privy to in order to take the problem out of the picture entirely.

The latter left an especially bad taste in her mouth. She hadn't left the White Fang behind just because it had lost sight of what it was meant to achieve but because it had crossed a line she wasn't willing to cross. What point was there in seeking a path to redemption if it was littered with corpses? No, she would not resort to blackmail nor would she abuse her partner's trust for her own gains.

The more time she spent thinking about it, the more stupid she felt about underestimating a critical flaw in her plan to impersonate a human. The bow worked well, it had done so for years, but she had only ever tried to hide her nature from humans she had met in passing. In order to keep up the pretense for an extended period of time without moving regularly, she would have to fool not only the people she would inevitably get close to but her fellow faunus as well.

It wasn't just the superior senses of the faunus that made blending in a daunting prospect—tricking a good nose was difficult, if not impossible—but their familiarity with their own people. A human who wasn't used to dealing with the faunus might well overlook the little quirks that came with her heritage. Someone familiar with them would not.

Having met Sandy, Blake couldn't help but feel like her approach had been naive, driven more by wishful thinking than by the reality of the situation. Maybe Yang was right and Sandy's interest was based purely on being partners with one of her favorite subjects, but that was of little consequence. Whatever the reason, Blake had drawn the girl's attention, and there had been something unnerving about the look in her eyes, like she had seen right through the disguise and wanted to make a point of it only to abstain from using it by making a deal with Yang. But to what end? Was it a roundabout way of showing solidarity, or was she after a bigger prize?

Blake was ripped from her thoughts by a shift in the bed above her. The faint blue light of a scroll's screen illuminated the room followed by her partner's weight moving towards the ladder at the foot of the bed. Blake closed her eyes and steadied her breathing just in time for Yang to climb down. The sound of bare feet traipsing around the dorm room was cut off shortly after by the faint click of a door being closed.

At first, Blake didn't think much of it—Yang was probably off to the bathroom or to get a glass of water—but as time stretched on, she grew more and more worried. No one took a thirty-minute bathroom break in the middle of the night.

After taking a quick look around the room, Blake was reasonably sure that her partner couldn't have gone far. Her boots and leather jacket were still where she had left them, and there was no way Yang could have opened and closed the closet door without Blake's ears picking up on it.

Wrapped tightly into her short robe to ward off the cold of the hallways, Blake slipped out of the room in order to find out what was going on. Her first stop was supposed to be the bathroom, but before she got there, she noticed light coming from the common room.

Rather than a door, there was a wide entranceway with a rounded top, allowing Blake to take a peek without drawing attention. Yang was sitting at the counter separating the kitchen from the dining area, staring out the window.

Blake studied her partner, wondering if she felt up to yet another nightly chat. The morning was creeping closer, and she would rather try to get some sleep before their first day of classes, but the subdued, almost somber, expression on Yang's face gave her pause. It was unlike the cheerful girl she had come to know and kept her rooted in her hiding spot.

Eventually, unease started to rise inside of Blake. Watching Yang from the shadows made her feel like she was invading her privacy without permission. It made her feel like a stalker. She had to make a decision: get involved or walk away.

She walked away.

Halfway down the hallway, she started to feel even worse. Her partner had made a habit of going out of her way to make sure she was feeling alright, yet here she was, walking away from Yang while something was obviously weighing heavy on her mind. She might not be very good at it, but she should at least try to return the favor.

Blake went back to the common room and stepped inside. "Trouble falling asleep?"

"Something like that," Yang said without turning around. She lowered the steaming mug she had been holding and looked over her shoulder. "Did I wake you up?"

"Not exactly."

"So you tried to avoid me by pretending to be asleep? I'm hurt," Yang said, clenching a hand to her chest.

Blake rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel like making a group outing out of using the bathroom in the middle of the night." She noticed a small leather case and a neatly-folded bright-red piece of cloth on the counter. "Though, it looks like that wasn't what you were up to."

"I was actually, before I ended up here."

Yang nodded towards the stove. There sat a kettle with a faint trail of steam rising from its nozzle next to a dented tin with a torn label.

Blake passed by the round tables that littered the dining area and stepped into the kitchen. The tin, on closer inspection, turned out to be some generic herbal instant drink that had been expired for months.

"It was either that or coffee. The kitchen seems to have been picked clean, and nobody has bothered to restock yet."

"At least there is no caffeine in it."

Yang laughed. "Coffee didn't seem like the drink of choice to fight insomnia. Besides, no coffee machine."

There was a set of irregular brown rings next to the power outlets on the kitchen counter, but whatever appliance had once inhabited that spot had gone missing.

"The cupboard to the right has some mugs."

It held about a dozen mismatched glasses and mugs on the top shelf, and a couple of plates and bowls in vastly different shapes and sizes on the bottom. Blake picked a mug at random and dissolved some granules of flavored sugar in hot water.

"This place isn't too bad," Yang said. "Not big enough for the whole floor to eat at the same time, but the kitchen is decent, and the couch and the big-screen TV were a nice surprise. It's short on anything that isn't bolted down or too big to be sneaked out in a piece of luggage though. People either loved sharing plates or took some souvenirs on graduating."

Blake picked up her steaming mug and sat down on the bar stool next to Yang. "The dining hall is open for most meals, and there are at least two cafeterias around on campus. I don't see much of a need for a fully stocked kitchen."

"That's no good. How would we throw a floor party? We don't even have enough glasses for everyone who lives here, not to mention visitors."

"Guess we won't."

Yang sighed. "Fine, but what about home-cooked meals? Beacon's food isn't too shabby, but sometimes one just needs something more familiar. And how would I bake Ruby's favorite cookies? We've got an oven and a stove, but only one pot with no lid, not a single pan, and an oven rack but not baking sheets. Aside from reheating whatever I might find behind that wall of permafrost that has taken over our freezer, there is not much I can do with that."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You can cook and bake?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I?"

"It's not something that comes to mind when I'm looking at you."

"Oh, I bet there are lots of other things that do come to mind when you're looking at me," Yang said in a sultry voice that didn't miss its mark, especially given her skimpy and skin-tight sleepwear.

Before Blake could compose herself and come up with any sort of believable denial, Yang laughed. "You know, I'm starting to think that I'm on to something. You didn't pick me as your partner just because I'm hot, did you?"

The moon turned out to be a very interesting sight to focus on while Blake took a sip of hot sugar water. It was tranquil and majestic despite being broken and would most certainly not make her face flush.

"What are you going to do about the kitchen?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Yang hummed. "The weekend is coming up, and we should at least stock it with the basics. Sugar, eggs, milk, flour, some cereal. Enough for breakfast or the occasional late-night pancakes. Not sure what the others want to do, but I might just get some dishes and stuff from a department store and throw out the mismatched leftovers. No point in keeping them around."

"You should get some proper tea and dispose of that tin."

"Anything for my girl!" Yang said with a laugh.

Blake buried her face in her mug again. Majestic moon, calming and tranquil.

"Chamomile?"

Blake nodded.

"You know, you could just come along. We've got the weekend free, and unlike Weiss, we're done unpacking."

"You want me to go shopping with you?"

"Sure. We can stock up on the essentials, grab some food, do some window shopping, and maybe even get you some more clothes to avoid wardrobe emergencies in the future."

There was little chance of a repeat incident now that she had several sets of school uniforms, track suits, and the likes in her closet. A shopping trip to town in order to get nothing of importance seemed like an unnecessary risk to take.

"I bet I know some bookshops you've never even heard of before."

Blake's ears twitched against the constraints of her bow. "I'll think about it."

They sat in silence for a while just enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Yang got up to put the kettle back on the stove. She was only boiling water, but armed with the knowledge that her partner was no stranger to household chores, Blake couldn't help but let her imagination wander. Seeing a domestic side to Yang was unexpected, but it felt right somehow.

It took her a while to realize that Yang had turned around and was watching her with interest. Caught in the act, Blake tried to play it off by taking another sip from her mug, forgetting that she had emptied it already. She put it down in frustration, which only added to the amusement on Yang's face.

Trying to find a way out, Blake remembered the curious items on the countertop. "Is that Ruby's cape?"

Yang nodded. "With all the playing around, I forgot to fix the hole the stupid chicken punched through it. Probably should have done that before showing her off in front of the whole school, but Ruby didn't seem to mind."

Blake pulled it apart to check on the sizable tear it had sustained during their initiation. What she found was a neatly stitched seam well hidden to the casual observer. One of many.

With sowing added to the list of hidden talents, Blake couldn't help herself. "You'll make for a good housewife one day," she said with a smirk.

Yang snorted. "Not so sure about the wife part, but I got the housekeeper down."

"You may need to change your working hours though. If you want to find a job, that is."

Yang's expression fell. "It just felt like a good way to pass the time."

Blake raised an eyebrow, but before she could press the issue, the kettle started whistling.

Yang turned off the stove and came over to collect their mugs. "Another one?"

"Sure."

"Check my scroll if you want to know."

Blake hesitated, watching Yang's back as she busied herself with making more "tea". Snooping in someone else's scroll felt wrong, but Yang had offered and curiosity won before long. The screen came to life showing an ad for vitamin supplements. "You couldn't fall asleep because your inbox is full of spam?"

Yang was looking over her shoulder in confusion. "Oh, right." Her attention returned to the beverages in the making. "It's been so long I don't even see the ads anymore. It's an invitation. Pretty well hidden, isn't it?"

By the time Yang had returned to her seat, Blake still hadn't found any indication of the ad's hidden content.

"Tonight's a race night."

Blake gave up on the ad and focused on her partner who had returned to staring out the window, her expression more wistful than somber or depressed.

"Haven't missed one in a long time. At least not while I was in the area." Yang sighed. "I guess it's just strange to be here when I know what's going on out there."

"When did you hear about it?"

"After we came back from town."

"That's cutting it close."

"Yeah. Invitations are sent out on short notice to keep unwelcome guests away."

"Still, you would have had enough time to go out."

"True."

"Why didn't you? I know you promised Ruby, but I got the impression that neither of you put much stock into that promise."

"No, I suppose not. I've been going there pretty much since the day I got my first bike, which is just about as long as Ruby has been asking me not to. I usually agree to stop her from bugging me, but we've gone through it too many times to take it seriously anymore."

"What changed?"

"Nothing, really. Maybe I'm still riding on the high from all the excitement of our initiation, or maybe I prefer my current company over that of a bunch of motorheads."

Yang was missing her usual aggression and playfulness. Instead, a gently smile graced her lips as she kept her eyes fixed out the window.

Blake liked the outgoing, fun-loving side of Yang that tried to fluster her at every chance she got—there was little point in lying to herself about it—but this side of Yang, the thoughtful and sincere one, made her feel things she hadn't expected. Try as she might, she couldn't find any hint of the anxieties that had plagued her since the day she set out on her own. She felt content.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but it might be time to drop racing. I've been at it for years—longer than most of the faces I've seen come and go—and I've won more often than not of late. Besides, the cops get a lot more annoying the moment you're no longer a minor, and the fines start racking up too. Not that I wouldn't still make a bundle."

"There's money in street racing?"

"As long as you win, there is. For the organizers, it's all about the betting, which won't earn them much if the people with the deep pockets don't show because the races stink. They keep the entrance fees low, but not too low, and the prize money high. Keeps out the riff-raff and leaves you with the people confident enough to aim for the top." Yang took a sip from her mug. "I'm no Weiss, but I can afford the insurance premiums and a nice garage for my baby for years to come without lifting a finger. Just don't go telling Ruby about it. It's bad enough that Dad found out about it."

Blake nodded. "Have you considered going legit? Sounds like you're good at it, and there are some official racing circuits around, aren't there?"

"I have, but it's just not the same. There's tons of red tape and you need teams and sponsors and all that stuff. They turn what's supposed to be a fun ride into a boring full-time job. Spending eight hours a day driving around in a circle to shave another fraction of a second off my lap time just isn't for me.

"On the street, all you need is your bike and a wad of cash. The route changes every time, and there are no practice runs. You go in blind, you adapt, and if you are any good, you've got a shot at taking the prize. Once you're done, you party for a bit and go home to get on with your life. That's how racing is supposed to be."

Blake hummed. "Why stop now? Doesn't sound like it's much of a drain on your free time."

"I don't know. Dad wanted me to focus on Beacon for a while. Get used to things around here, figure out which classes I can sleep through without—"

Blake slurped loudly. "You shouldn't sleep through your classes."

"Stop channeling your inner Weiss," Yang said with a laugh. "Point is, he made sense. I goofed off a lot at Signal, but that was just school with a couple of sparring matches. If our initiation has proven anything, it's that Beacon is an entirely different beast. I would never forgive myself if something happened to Ruby because I spent the night out and wasn't on top of my game. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to my partner either."

Blake studied Yang. She could find nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

"What about Weiss?"

"I guess I wouldn't feel too good about something happening to my sister's partner. Well, I guess I wouldn't mind a flesh wound or two to reign in the attitude a bit," Yang said with a playful smirk.

"Forced bed rest can bring out the worst in people, especially in those who are naturally driven."

Yang shuddered. "Anyway, I'm fine with not going to the races. It feels weird, but I'll get over it. Besides, there are no commitments in street racing. You either show up, or you don't. And for the time being, I won't. That's all there is to it."

Blake nodded. Truthfully, she would rather not have Yang sneak out in the middle of the night to risk her neck, her criminal record, and her grades for some pointless race, but she didn't feel like she had the right to have an opinion on how her partner spent her free time.

"How is your fan club taking the news?"

Yang choked on her "tea" much to Blake's amusement. It was about time she got some payback for all the teasing she had to endure.

"You've heard about that?" Yang asked, patting her chest to stave off another cough.

"Ruby mentioned it."

Yang sighed. "The club has no opinion, nor does it get to have one. As far as I know, Dad, Uncle Qrow, Ruby, and Sandy were the only people at Signal who knew anything about my nightly excursions."

"You didn't bring any cheerleaders to your races?"

"Uh, no. Bad enough that I had to deal with that at school. I could never show my face at the races again if I had a bunch of teenage girls waving around pom-poms and chanting nonsense from the sidelines. Besides, it's not exactly legal. Telling people about it is a bad idea."

"And yet you told me. Why would you do that?"

"You're my partner. Who else would I tell if not you?"

Blake furrowed her brow. "You would have told anyone as long as they were your partner?"

Yang took a sip from her mug and closed her eyes lost in thought. "No, I suppose not."

Blake sighed and returned to watching the moon. This was the part about Yang she didn't understand. Why would she leave herself open without hesitation? Why would she trust her not to use anything she has shared against her? And where did she draw the line between partner and person?

"Out of curiosity, how does a school girl go about getting herself a fan club. You kept your racing career hidden, and it's not like you're secretly a famous actress, are you?"

"No," Yang said with a laugh. "No, I'm not. Could be fun though. But, yeah, the fan club, it just sort of happened. A couple of weeks into my second year at Signal, I was cornered by a group of girls with hand-written membership IDs. They were looking at me with those big puppy-dog eyes…" She sighed. "They reminded so much of Ruby begging for cookies, I just couldn't bring myself to tell them to drop it.

"It was a bit strange at first, especially when they started calling me their princess, but you don't grow up with Ruby without getting used to the occasional bit of role-playing. Unfortunately, the nickname caught on, and soon enough, even some of the teachers referred to me as the Princess of Signal."

"Let me guess, Sandy had a hand in it."

"Between her articles, the fan club, and Uncle Qrow picking it up to tease me every chance he got, I never stood a chance."

"You're not helping me trust that girl."

Yang smiled knowingly. "By the end of the year, the fan club had become organized. Regular meetings, a board, a newsletter, professionally-printed IDs; they had gone far beyond a cute little game."

"The teachers didn't stop them?"

"On what grounds? They were a bit obnoxious—showing up in force at every practice session, sparring match, and competition—but they had every right to hang around school."

Blake hummed. "It doesn't feel right."

"Oh, it got far worse. By year three, they had an official logo and t-shirts they were wearing like uniforms. It was also the year I was promoted to Queen of Signal."

"What did you do?"

"I'm feeling like my partner is losing faith in me," Yang said with a pout.

"So you didn't do anything?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, not deliberately. I may have had a disagreement or two with a particularly full-of-himself guy in his final year who may have been the top-ranked fighter at the time. And I may have knocked him on his ass about five feet from the gates right in front of everyone, which may have coincided with my promotion to queen and some other stuff. But you can hardly blame me for that."

Blake sighed. "Right."

"By my fourth year, they had expanded on their merchandise: pens, notebooks, erasers, and anything else an office supply company might print a logo on. Their numbers had increased quite a bit too. They pounced on every new batch of students, and the older I got, the more awe inspiring I seemed to have become to the little ones," Yang said, waggling her eyebrows, which prompted Blake to roll her eyes at her.

She could see it happening, of course. Yang had spent most of her adolescence at Signal, and given the end result, it didn't come as much of a surprise that the younger students had been drawn to her, be it as a role model or thanks to budding hormones. There was no point in letting her know that though.

"It wasn't just my juniors anymore by that point. When the whole queen thing started, some of my classmates and even some of my seniors joined in."

"Your so-called friends, among others?"

"Yeah. I didn't mind the younger girls much, but my own classmates jumping on the bandwagon was pushing it."

"There was no talking them out of it?"

"Some listened, but the club as a whole? No. I tried anything from asking them nicely to threatening them, but no. If anything they enjoyed the attention, and I couldn't exactly beat up a couple of dozen students just because they annoyed me, could I?" Yang asked as if she was hoping to get permission.

"No, you couldn't."

"Yeah. That's what everyone else said too."

Blake frowned as Yang started giggling to herself out of the blue.

"I just remembered: From some point on, they had to give me private detention to make sure that there wouldn't be a wave of delinquency sweeping over the school whenever word got out."

"Putting the boss into solitary confinement to separate him from his gang?"

"Something like that. It sure made detention a lot less of a punishment. Most of the time it was Dad or Uncle Qrow who got roped into watching me. With Dad it was just homework and training like at home, but with Uncle Qrow? He preferred to watch me in a less 'dry' environment."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Your uncle took you out drinking for detention?"

"More fun for both of us that way," Yang said with a smirk. "I've found out about some rather interesting places all over Vale in the name of detention." Her eyes went wide before she pinned Blake with a glare. "Just so we're clear, that stays between us. If Ruby or Dad find out, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Sure." At least this time spilling her secrets seemed to have been an accident. "What happened with the fan club."

Yang sighed. "Trying to deal with them didn't work, so I didn't, at all. I stayed out of their way when I could, ignored them when I couldn't, and started to spend most of my free time either at home or in Vale rather than on Patch."

"I'm starting to see where the hostility is coming from."

"Yeah, well, It didn't make much of a difference with the younger girls, but my classmates, they weren't happy. It did do the trick though. Most of them quit soon enough, and things went back to normal."

"Didn't feel like it when an irate fan girl ambushed us in broad daylight."

"That was kind of your fault."

Blake narrowed her eyes.

"Our fault?" Yang offered.

"Explain."

Yang sighed. "The logo they used on their t-shirts and whatnot was based on my burning heart. Almost exactly my burning heart in fact, with a few little touches here and there."

Blake put her mug down on the countertop with force. "Let me get this straight: You had a bunch of crazy, obsessed stalkers hanging around your old school. They liked to dress up in your insignia and followed you around. Your response was to shun them until they stopped. Years later, you met a complete stranger, dressed her up in your insignia, and showed her off on a stage in front of your crazy, obsessed stalkers."

"Yes, but—"

"Seriously? What were you thinking?"

"Well—"

"Is that what the pet comment was about?"

"I—"

"Did you do it on purpose to annoy them, or are you trying to play an infantile prank on me?"

"Stop it!"

Blake froze, bringing her tirade to a halt. There was a flicker of hurt in Yang's eyes that made her regret jumping down her partner's throat without giving her the chance to explain herself, but the damage was done.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Yang slumped over on the counter and mumbled into it. "I didn't do it on purpose. That girl has been on my case for years. I didn't even consider that there might be something else up until—"

"The pet comment?"

Yang turned her head to look at Blake, leaving her face all squished up against the countertop. "It's what people called them, you know, because they followed me around like puppies or something, and it wasn't meant as a compliment. When she called you that…" Yang sighed. "I should have realized sooner. I'm sorry."

Blake watched her partner unsure of how to handle the situation. Stalking grimm in the wild or breaking into high-security installations, that she could deal with, but this was far beyond her expertise. Rather than risk making things worse, she decided on a small nod and waited for her partner to continue.

Yang was keeping eye contact for a little while longer before she pushed herself up and returned to staring out the window. The sunny spark that had been her almost constant companion since they had first met was nowhere to be found.

"Signal is mostly a boarding school—Patch is just too small for anything else—and I had to start from scratch when I went there. Not that that was much of an issue, and with all the combat thrown in, I was having a great time.

"Then the fan club went big almost overnight. They weren't exactly stalking me, but it's a small town. I couldn't go anywhere without somebody spotting me and posting online what I was up to and with whom. School was even worse. Whispering, pointing, staring, the occasional mob; I got used to it quickly, but my friends didn't. They drifted away until it was just me and a lot of casual acquaintances, some more obsessed than others.

"It didn't end there though. I was with the track and field club, but I spent a lot of time hopping between others just for the fun of it. Practice was for those involved, but it wasn't uncommon for a couple of friends or those with a crush on someone in the club to hang around. I don't think there were any rules about it either way nor did anybody mind until the fan club started to fill the rafters wherever I went. Things escalated, and some clubs tried to ban spectators during practice with mixed results. In the end, most of them just asked me to stay away."

Yang took a sip from the, now, lukewarm mug. "The whole thing was a stupid game concocted by a bunch of kids that made it impossible for me to find any real friends at school and all but drove me out of my own hometown." She turned to look Blake in the eye. "Do you honestly think I'd want to bring that back? That I'd want to drag you or Ruby into that mess? And for what? A laugh? To rub it in their faces?"

"I…" Blake averted her eyes and took a deep breath before she met Yang's eyes again. "No, I don't."

Yang looked back out the window. "I like you, you know. Don't ask me to give you a reason. I just do, and I hope that you'll see me as more than your partner out of obligation one day."

Blake nodded half-heartedly. It was a nice sentiment, one she couldn't deny she shared, but there were obstacles on both sides that made her wonder just how far they could go before it would all fall apart.

"I know you're a private person, but whatever our relationship might amount to, you'll have to deal with a certain level of infamy. With or without Sandy on my case, I'm just not very good at keeping a low profile, but I would never use you like that on purpose."

"Ruby mentioned that you avoided her at Signal. I never got around to asking her for the reason, but—"

"It won't work this time. Not with us being teammates. It doesn't matter though. I underestimated that nonsense once, it won't happen again. There won't be another fan club homing in on our team."

Blake furrowed her brow. "You aren't just worried about yourself becoming a target, are you?"

"I'm more worried about Weiss, to be honest. She's not exactly famous, at least not around here, but her family and company are. She's got talent, the attitude of someone who is used to having people's attention, and she's made of money."

"Not to mention your newspaper friend's interest. She won't back down just because Weiss refused an interview, I take it."

"Nope, but Weiss not talking buys us some time, and with a bit of luck, Pyrrha will have scooped up the crazies by then."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "You're going to use Pyrrha as a decoy? Just like that?"

"Nah," Yang said with a laugh. "Well, yes. As a last resort. We aren't little girls playing games anymore, so I doubt it will happen again, but if it does, and if they can't be convinced to drop it, I'm sure I can arrange something with Sandy that will sway their interest away from us."

"I can't say I like that plan very much. Or any plan involving that girl."

"It's a last resort for a reason, but I'm not putting my little sister in the crossfire if I can help it. Besides, Pyrrha has her face on a cereal box. Pretty sure she's used to it, and if our ice princess is anything to go by, people will be too busy gushing over the famous Mistral champion to bother with us." She took another sip from her mug. "Come to think of it, Weiss might be the one to watch out for the most."

"Weiss Schnee, President of the Pyrrha Nikos fan club?"

Yang hummed. "Sounds a bit boring, don't you think? How about the Mistral Champion Appreciation Society. MCAS president and founding member, Weiss Schnee. We should totally get her a mock ID or something."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"You're right. We should leave it out for Pyrrha to find and watch Weiss squirm as she tries to convince her idol that she's not a creepy stalker." Yang furrowed her brow. "Nah, that wouldn't work either. Pyrrha seems way too nice. She would probably just tell her it's okay and let her take a picture or something."

"And Weiss would be angry with us either way."

"Exactly, which is why we have to make it count."

"Or not do it at all," Blake offered only to be ignored by Yang who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Glynda!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"As in professor Goodwitch?"

"The one and only! She's as much of a tight-ass as Weiss, if not more so, which is why we leave it out before class for her to find. She won't stand for that kind of nonsense and will lecture Weiss in front of everybody. She might even make our wannabe honor student stand in front of the class like a delinquent."

Yang straightened her back trying to imitate professor Goodwitch. "Front row, Miss Schnee, where I can keep an eye on you!" She slumped back over the counter in laughter. "It's going to be awesome!"

Blake sighed. "I'm starting to see why I'll have to deal with a certain level of infamy being your partner. And no, you're not going to do any of that."

"But it would be really funny."

"Maybe, but even if they don't find out that it was you—"

"Us."

Blake sighed again. "Even if they don't find out that it was us, Weiss is difficult enough to deal with as it is. She would only get worse, and without a target to focus on, we—including Ruby—would end up paying the price. What happened to helping your little sister trying to get along with her partner?"

"Weiss will come around eventually," Yang said with a shrug. "We might as well have some fun while she's still bitchy for no reason."

"Please don't make it any worse than it has to be."

Yang made eye contact with Blake. "That depends."

"On what?"

"One, are you going to forgive me for messing up about the jacket and the fan club?"

"Only if you forgive me for accusing you of doing it on purpose and let me borrow it for a while longer."

"Aw, don't tell me that you've fallen for my charms and want to become a member yourself?" Yang asked with a smirk.

"You wish," Blake said, returning the smirk. "I might have fallen for the charms of that special Vacuo leather though, and I might have to hold your jacket hostage until you tell me where to get one for myself. And until I can afford one," she added in a mumble.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like somebody is fishing for a birthday present."

"That's not what I—"

"Don't worry about it. The shop isn't a secret, but it is expensive. Besides, I'm sure I'll do a better job with that than with trying to pick out a book you'll like."

"There is really no need for presents."

"We'll see. For now, you'll just have to wear mine and show the world that you are my partner. I win either way," Yang said with a genuine smile that caught Blake off guard.

She cleared her throat. "Right. I lost track, but I think we came to an understanding on your first condition?"

Yang nodded. "Which leaves us with the second condition: You are going to tell me what kept you lying awake hours after the ice princess ordered us to bed."

"I'm sure you can guess," Blake said with a sigh.

Yang lifted her mug and frowned at the cold liquid. "Another one?"

"No, two cups of fake tea are quite enough."

"Yeah. I'm not much of a tea drinker, but even I can tell that it's not the good stuff." Yang put her mug down and pushed it away. "So, Sandy?"

"I just kept mulling it over. Everything you've said. Everything I've seen her do. As much as I want to trust your judgment, I just can't trust her. Not without something more tangible in my hands to convince me."

"You want to see her serious work?"

"Yes, but I don't want you to have to pay the price for my lack of faith. I'll just have to talk to her myself."

"That's not a good idea."

Blake frowned at Yang. "I do have some experience in negotiations."

"Not what I'm talking about. I don't trust your emotional side with this. Whatever it is that is looming over you, it's big, or at least you think it is. I mean, it had you jump me half-cocked today."

Blake tried to protest but was cut off by Yang immediately.

"Sandy is smart and sharp. How many times do you think she got the better of me before I figured out how to handle her? Do you really want to go through that learning experience with something that important on the line? And for what? Pride? Some misguided need to be self-reliant? I am your partner, your friend if you let me, and there is nothing wrong with asking your partner or your friend for a favor."

Blake smiled despite herself at Yang's offer of friendship, but her expression fell quickly. "There wouldn't be any need for a favor if I could make myself trust your judgment. It feels like I'm punishing you twice."

"You're looking at it the wrong way around. You can't make yourself trust me. You might want to, but you either do or you don't. Just look at it as a chance for me to prove myself to you. It might not be enough, but it could be a step in the right direction."

Yang left Blake to mull it over while she rinsed out their mugs in the sink. She was right. Trust between people wasn't something that could be turned on or off at a whim. It had to built over time. It had to be earned.

Was that what Yang had been doing all along? Had she been putting herself on the line just to build trust between them with no idea if it was safe or if it would pay off? It was a risky plan, stupid even, but it felt like something Yang would do. Why her of all people, Blake still couldn't tell, but she didn't feel like questioning her luck while it lasted.

Yang returned, drying her hands on a dishcloth. She leaned over the counter opposite of Blake and propped herself up on her elbows. "If it makes you feel any better, you can owe me a favor in return."

Blake wasn't comfortable owing favors, but it made her feel less like she was using her partner, and she had to start her side of their journey to mutual trust somewhere.

They shook hands to seal the deal. Regret and a sense of foreboding dread filled Blake the moment she saw Yang's face split in half in a wide grin.

"Good. I already know what I want in return."

Blake looked at her partner in apprehension, still holding on to her hand.

"Oh, come on. Don't make that face. I'm not going to tell you to run a lap around campus in your birthday suit. I'll save that one for the day Weiss owes me a favor."

The tension washed away and Blake couldn't help but laugh. "Is there something you want to tell me about yourself and our Miss Schnee? First mooning the ballroom, now running around the campus naked. It seems like you can't wait to peel her out of her clothes."

"Seriously? I might not mind the cold much, but even I would turn into an icicle trying my luck with that girl."

They both laughed.

"Besides, as hot as I am, competing with Pyrrha would be one hell of a challenge."

Blake couldn't help but compare the two girls. Both were tall, well toned, and curvy. Pyrrha projected a mature and elegant beauty, while Yang's was youthful and sexy. Even their faces—Pyrrha's more angular features in contrast to Yang's softer ones—matched them perfectly. One would be hard pressed not to consider the two of them the outstanding beauties of their year.

"You shouldn't sell yourself short."

Blake regretted it the moment the words had left her mouth. The last thing Yang needed was a boost to her ego or encouragement for more teasing.

"Oh, I'm not saying that I'd lose. Just that it would be one hell of a fight."

"Right," Blake said, fishing for a safe way to change the topic. She came up empty but noticed how their hands had gone from shaking on a deal to resting on the counter still holding on to each other. She jerked hers back, which left a frown on Yang's face.

That infuriating hand kept slipping past her defenses with an ease that was as unsettling as the effect being touched by it had on her. She needed a distraction, fast.

"Naked Weiss aside, what do you want for a favor?" she asked.

Yang perked up. "You're going to go shopping with me this weekend! No previous engagements, no last minute family emergencies, no doctor's notes, no homework, no emergency missions, no whatever Weiss wants us to do in order to be good little students. It's a date. You will relax, you will have fun, and short of the world coming to an end, you will be there until I release you."

Blake frowned. Given that she had already considered coming along—picking a local's brain on hidden gems among bookshops was too enticing a prospect to dismiss outright—it felt like taking the easy way out. She hadn't traded a favor for Yang's help only to void it for nothing, but one look at her partner's expectant face made it clear that she wouldn't change her mind.

"I can promise to come along, but—"

"You can't promise to have fun or relax? Wasn't that what you said about today's trip? And how did that work out for you exactly?"

"I can't promise that I will have fun and relax, but I can't promise that I won't have fun or relax either."

"I guess that will have to do?" Yang nodded once as if to tell herself that she had reached an acceptable deal and pushed herself off the counter.

Blake followed her eyes towards the window, noticing that the moon had advanced considerably and would soon disappear below the horizon.

"Guess we should head back to bed before Weiss sends out a search party and grounds us for staying up past our bedtime."

Blake would have laughed if she didn't think it entirely possible for Weiss to try and implement some sort of draconian punishment for ignoring her order to go to sleep.

"Guess we should." She got up and lead the way towards their dorm room.

In the end, Blake was glad that she hadn't left without talking to Yang. Her worries about Sandy hadn't been dispelled, but that dark shadow looming over her mind had turned into little more than an afterthought. She had come to a better understanding of her partner and felt content with letting Yang take the next step. Wherever it might lead them, they would go from there. Together.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Alas, another part of the story has come to an end…

Now, before anyone complains: I don't know anything about street racing. I turned it into something I believe Yang would enjoy and that would allow me to insert some funds into the Blake/Yang side of the story, so I don't have to worry about them not being able to afford certain things that will be relevant later on. Also, Bumblebee is one hell of a bike. There's no way that Yang can finance that thing with whatever allowance she gets from Taiyang.

And yes, there was a reference to _Red Carpet Romance_ by mikotyzini hidden in this chapter. Check it out if you haven't already because, chances are, if you've stayed with me for this long, you're going to love it.

Now, on with the program…

 _Fun fact #1:_ This chapter wasn't supposed to exist at all. Neither was the ghost story, for that matter. The coffee shop scene was supposed to be the end of this part, but I added the ghost story for a bit of flavor. At that point, the cut felt too rough, so I tried to add another couple of paragraphs to smooth out the transition. By the time I was done, I had written the biggest continuous scene of this story to date despite chickening out on the bed building scene for a second time.

 _Fun fact #2:_ Part three, originally, was planned to be nothing but a small epilog chapter at the end of part two. It turned out to be bigger than either of the first two parts despite consisting of nothing but the girls sitting around and talking for two days.

And talk they did, but I'm quite happy with it now that the revision is done (which might change as time moves on as it always does after writing something…). Yang has been telling a lot more stories than I had intended her to, and Blake crushing on Yang this early on was by no means planned and might have been a bit hasty, but it's what we ended up with trying out a new approach to writing these things.

During the first two parts I took a very literal approach when it came to translating the show to the story. In fact, I worked mostly from transcripts that I split, sorted, and padded by writing around the existing dialogue. It shows. It's very restricting from my point of view, and it lead to some very clunky parts and rough cuts.

Part three had next to no canon material, which allowed me to give the characters all the freedom they could ask for to go about things at their own pace and tell me what they wanted to do. It worked surprisingly well, and I will try to keep that methodology going with upcoming material.

Basically, upcoming canon material should end up being more paraphrased rather than translated almost line-for-line, which we'll give a test run with part four.

As for part four, it is in the works and it is taking shape, but given my complete and utter inability to keep to deadlines with this story, I'm not even going to try at this point. It will be done when it's done.

That being said, there is some good stuff in there, and we'll meet some characters I've been looking forward to working with for a long time. We'll finally get to see a bit of the regular school life, a fight or two, a shopping trip, a mutiny, some departures from the canon story line (because there is one scene in the upcoming episodes that really bugs me), and more…

I'm also busy doing some world building (the minutia of the school system, some legal matters, and so on) that is inconsequential for canon but holds some importance for my approach to the material. It will likely lead to certain inconsistencies (like the characters being a year older than in canon or Signal lasting six years rather than four as previously stated). Any significant inconsistencies to previous parts will be mentioned when they become relevant.

Incidentally, I've been wondering if the girls birthdays are known (the actual dates, not just their ages).

Another thing I'm working on is an extended timeline. As far as I could piece it together, canon starts in a spring semester with the first volume. The second volume starts with the fall semester, and leads (about a month or two later) directly into the third, which is only a tournament, a battle, and a time skip (two actually).

Both the second (Blake's dark phase) and the third volume (very short and terrible) are quite cramped and somewhat problematic concerning my approach to the story, which is why I've decided to plan my story around an alternative timeline:

The first volume happens in a fall semester and is mostly unchanged. The second will be extended to a full spring semester with all Vytal related events moved up to the third, which will line up as a fall semester to keep the symbolism intact.

This approach gives the third volume more meat (Vytal dance, the festival as a whole, the game, the new school year, etc.) and give both the second and the third volume an extended stretch of normalcy to work with outside of the canon plot. Obviously, some events and motivations during the second volume would have to be replaced or adapted, but I've figured those out for the most part and they work rather well.

It is a work in progress, and I'm mostly committed at this point, but it is not irreversible. That being said, I'm open to comments, critique, and suggestions on either version.

And finally, at some point, part one and two will receive (much needed) revisions similar to part three, but for the time being, the main focus will return to writing part four. Revising the old stuff was supposed to be a minor side project, but, as it turns out, it's a lot more work than expected, so part four first, more revisions later.

Now, as always, I'm very much open to more ideas and suggestions on what to include in the parts to follow. Consider this a standing invitation no matter how much time has passed since the release of this chapter.

That is all.


	16. Update Notice: Arrivals

**Update Notice: Arrivals**

Not a real chapter, I'm afraid, but there has been a major update in the form of a comprehensive revision of the first part of the story ( _Arrivals_ ), which did not only receive a much, much needed face-lift on the technical side but also saw some changes in content, mainly in order to bring it in line with later chapters in how both the setting and the characters have diverged from their early incarnations.

Similar revisions of the second and third part are in the works and should follow soon, before leading into the further development of the, as of yet, unreleased fourth part.

I am happy to announce that this story is _not_ dead and will be continued as originally promised.

Should you feel inclined to reread the story and want let me know what you think of the revision (or the story as a whole), please comment or review on the chapters in question rather than on this temporary notice in order to prevent your comments from being deleted by future updates.

Even if you do not plan on rereading the story, I would like to recommend taking a quick peek at the author's notes attached to the revised chapters, which contain a special section discussing the changes made to the content in order to help prevent any confusion among those who had previously read the story.

Unfortunately, none of the platforms this story is being released on seems to provide a mechanism to trigger update notifications when updating existing chapters (short of deleting them and uploading them again, which causes all kinds of unfortunate side effects), hence the use of this temporary dummy chapter.

This notice will be removed and replaced in time either to trigger a new update notification for the next batch of revisions or for the release of the first chapter of the fourth part once all existing material has been revised.

I will _not_ make a habit out of abusing dummy chapters to draw attention to every change I make (minor revisions for grammar, style, etc. may continue to happen at any time but are hardly relevant to those who have already read the previously released material), however, as the revisions currently in the works do contain changes to the actual content of the story, I consider them a necessary evil in order to draw attention to said changes.

Now, as always, please let me know what you think, and feel free to drop by on Twitter (twitter{.}com/sittschowrites) for news and further information on this and other stories in the works.

That is all.


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